Return
by ratpigeon
Summary: It has been many years since the Anima disappeared, but things that were once lost have a habit of returning. I DO NOT OWN ANIMA, but please read and review anyway. Set about 15 years after the end of 'Anima'.
1. Chapter 1

Return

(N.B., this is about +anima, just not obviously in this first chapter, ~Rapigeon)

Tasha patted the puppy's silky grey head, smiling at him as he flicked a paw and whined quietly. Jekyl was getting better, his soft stomach plump and sleek over his most recent meal, rather than hanging in scraggly tufts off the gaunt outline of his ribs, like it had been only a few weeks ago. But the bandage and splint still held his rear left leg still. The doctor had said that he might never run again.

"But we won't let that happen, will we, Jekyl? Will we boy?" Tasha said, picking the puppy up and snuggling him to her chest. Jekyl yelped, not appreciating the disturbance, and nuzzled at Tasha's collarbone. She laughed and hugged him tighter.

"Tasha, sweetie! I'm back!" Tasha looked up as she heard her mother's voice coming from the gate. Mirai had gone to Astaria city several days ago to sell the various little trinkets that they made, and hadn't yet met Jekyl.

"Coming Mother," Tasha called, and ran around the house, still holding the puppy.

"How have you bee - Oh my God!! Tasha what is that? IS that a _wolf_?"

"Wolf pup," Tasha corrected with a shrug. "I found him, and called him Jekyl."

Mirai was leaning against the fence, very pale.

"Put it back _right now! _Those things are dangerous, not to mention whatever diseases it could have!"

"But-"

"_Now_!!" Mirai's tone told Tasha that this was non-negotiable, as she pointed towards the forest, her hand shaking. "And don't try to smuggle it back in either."

"But he's _hurt!_"

"Wolves are meant to live in the wild Tasha, and definitely not this close to a village. So you have to put him back, even if he is hurt." Mirai's tone didn't soften at all.

Tasha bit her lip, it was so _unfair. _Her mother left her alone for weeks at a time, and now she wasn't even allowed to keep Jekyl to play with. As if sensing her despair, the wolf cub whined and pressed his wet nose into her shoulder. blinking, Tasha left teh yard, cradling Jekyl as she made her way into the wodds, golden-leaved with autumn. HE wriggled, trying to get down onto the ground so that he could romp among the cruncing piles of foilage that littered the forest floor, but TAsha held him tightly, worried that he might damage his injured leg, and not wanting to let him go.

*

It was getting late, as TAsha sat on the forest floor, still trying to think of something that she could do. She didn't want to lose Jekyl, nd knew he couldn't survive by himself, but if she took him back, then her mother might do something to him, like hurt him...

She jerked her heead around as she heard a howl in the distance. Jekyle whined in response, barking. Tasha backed up against the tree, hearing another howl, closer, louder. Jekyl barked again, ears twitching.

There was a rustle, and a ghostly shape appeared between the trees,shortly followed by a second and a third. Wolves.

Jekyl growled, springing out of Tasha's arms to stand in front of her, his injured leg held off teh ground as he snarled at the circling shadows.

"Jekyl, Don't!" Tasha screamed as one of the wolves leapt at her, but Jekyl jumped between them, fastening his needle teeth onto the wolf's paw. The wolf snarled, and sank his teeth into the puppy, shaking him like a rag doll and flinging him into a tree, with a sickening crunch. Tasha screamed again, ignoring the wolves as she ran to the cub, cradling his shattered body in her hands, blood running staining them, concealing the black caligraphic lines that began to form on her hands, running up her shoulders and around her face.

A second wolf leapt, fangs bared. Tasha snarled and turned, lashing out with her hand, knocking the wolf flying with a yelp. She twisted, ducking away from another wolf, and sinking her teeth deep into the dark fur, tearing through muscles and filling her mouth with blood. She punched him away with a clawed hand, and turned to fac ethe first wolf, who was favouring his front paw, her ears pricking at the sound of his panting. Tasha crouched down on all fours, circling, anger coursing through her, the hot tears trickling down her cheeks mixing with the hot blood smearing her face, and filling her mouth with the taste of revenge.

The wolf snarled and attacked, its claws slashing across Tasha's shoulder, slicing through her tunic and opening a deep gash. Tasha howled and bucked, attacking with both her hands and her fangs, rolling over and over on the damp bloodstained ground, trying to fasten on the wolfs neck. Eventually, with a spray of blood, she managed to bring her claws across it.

The wolf stilled and died, and Tasha stood up, staring at the bloodstained claws, surrounded by silky grey fur reaching halfway to her elbow, She felt fangs rubbing against her lower lip, and her hearing had become unnaturally acute. she reached up to touch her ears, but, like her hands, they had been replaced with the pointed grey ears of a wolf. Shaking, Tasha moved over to Jekyl. His little body was limp and still, already cold his once bright eyes flat and dark. Tasha felt tears well up in her eyes, as she gently put the brave little puppy back on the ground, and howled.


	2. Chapter 2

Thankyou for reviewing! And actually, I cried when I killed Jekyl, I didn't even cry when I killed Cooro in one of my other fics...anyway...

Chapter one: Gypsies

Tasha emerged from the forest, blodstained, and injured, strange black markings running across her body, suggesting claws and fangs before disappearing into her unruly hair. Her face was muddy, caked with the salt of dried tears, andher clothes hung in rags around her slender frame, stooped and limping with exhaustion and grief.

She found herself standing at the edge of a wide road, empty still as the sun was just peeking over the horizon. It wound away over the low hills without any sign of a fork or a town. Any other day, Tasha would have been worried at this, she was completely lost, and, although she knew the area around her home like the back of her hand, she had never been more than an hour or two's walk away from it.

Tasha slumped by a tree, feeling her stomach rumble and her eyelids droop. The only thing that she knew for certain, was that Jekyl, dear sweet Jekyl had died, trying to protect her, and that going home was not an option any longer. Fresh tears trickling down her cheeks, Tasha curled up against the tree and drifted off to sleep.

**

Tasha woke up to the sound of voices, muttering around her, jerking her into conciousness with a panicked, gasping shriek.

"...She's awake." Tasha heard a slightly sarcastic, but melodious tenor comment. She looked around, the scene swinging into focus. She was in a smallish wooden room that was listing slightly to one side, and roofed with canvas. The walls were painted with bright murals, and hung with various brightly coloured clothes, jewelry, and trinkets. Standing in the room was a short, wiry boy of about fourteen in a bright red silk shirt and a slender woman of about thirty, wearing a long flounced and layered skirt, several shawls and a chain of bells around her waist. Both had dark, coffee-coloured skin and lusturous black curls.

"I can see that, Fernando. Now scram, Tell Elise that I would like some soup brought in."

"Yes Auntie." Fernando scampered out the door, calling to 'Elise', as his aunt turned to Tasha, smiling kindly.

"Good morning, child, I'm Nina, I lead a small band of travelling players."

"I'm...Tasha." Tasha murmured, making to sit up again, but gasping in pain and sinking back to the soft mattress as her shoulder caught fire.

"What a pretty name, child, but tell me, how did one as young as you come to be injured by the side of the road? Were you attacked?"

"Tasha nodded, gulping back tears. "W-wolves....I was in the forest..." she bit her lip and scrubbed at her eyes, her shaking shoulders sending spasms of pain through her left side.

"Hush, child." Nina cooed, enveloping Tasha in a rustle of silk and a warm cardamon scent. "Hush..." She began to hum, the notes as mellifluous as golden honey, flowing over the gentle strains of an unfamiliar lullaby.

"I have Soup!" Fernando announced, coming in with a bowl that emmited enticing aromas, and offering it to Nina.

"It's for Tasha, not me, Fernando."

"I know, I just thought you might want to check it for rocks - Elise was the one making it."

"Your sister is a marvellous cook," Nina chided gently, smiling.

"She's a daydreamer. Remember that time when she used a salt instead of flour? Or when she forgot to crack the eggs and-"

"Yes, yes, that's enough." Nina said quickly, leaning over to stir a spoon through the soup, apparently checking for rocks, or maybe boiled eggs. "Here you go, Tasha." She said after a moment, handing the bowl over to Tasha, who began to eat ravenously, savouring the large, tough chunk of meat like never before.

"Can I go now Aunt?" Fernando asked, shifting from foot to foot.

"If you must." Nina waved a hand before turning back to Tasha and sitting on the edge of the bed, her face like stone. "TAsha, child, I know that you must have had an horrible experience, and I won't send you away if you have nowhere else to go, but when you feel better, I would greatly appreciate it if you told me what happened, and what those marks on your arms are."

Tasha froze, spoon halfway to her mouth, as Nina left the room, shutting the door behind her, and a lock clicked.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N I should have mentioned this sooner, but I am writing this one at the request of Cooro12, who gave me the idea. So credit to Cooro12. And thanks in many degrees to everyone who is reviewing!

Chapter two: Marked.

Nina was kind, Fernando funny, and Elise, when Tasha met her, proved to be a shy daydreamer, not striking like her brother and aunt, but pretty in a soft, ethereal way.

But still, Tasha didn't fit with them. The markings on her arms, they streched all the way up to her shoulders, along her neck, even around her face, and they were...magic. That was the only explanation. They would tingle when she thought about them, tingle and change, covering her hands with fur and long claws, lengthening her teeth into sharp fangs, and transforming her round pink ears into perky, silky, grey ones, just like Jekyl's had been, amazing ears that heard everything, like what was being said outside the caravan right then.

"Fernando, I understand that we can't leave her, but we don't know who she is, she could be dangerous, we found her covered in blood and cuts at the edge of a forest, she had no weapons, but a lot of that blood wasn't hers..."

"She seems nice though, Aunt Nina, do you really think she'd hurt us?" Elise's voice was soft as she spoke.

"You children are too young to know, but years ago when I was a child, there were strange people, children mostly, called +anima. They had markings like that child, and these markings gave them the attributes of animals. Wings, tails, sharp ears, fins, fast legs, even claws and fangs. They vanished, more than twenty years ago, but before then, they were feared, in Sailand they were slaves, in the rest of the world they were shunned."

"Well that's just despicable. Why on earth would they shun someone just because they were different? and slaves? That's wrong. Are you honestly going to take the side of a scaredy-cat slaver, and throw her out, just because she might be able to turn into an animal or something?" Fernando paused in his impassioned spiel to make a disbelieving sound. "I hope she is one of those anime things. That would be amazing." There was a thump, and Tasha heard Fernando's footsteps tramping towards the caravan door.

"Heya, can I come in Tash'?" He called through the wood. Tasha quickly stood up, her ears, fur and claws vanishing into her skin as she went to open the door for a cheerfully grinning Fernando, Nina standing worriedly by the cookfire with Elise in the background.

Fernando grinned, and sat down on the floor, leaning his back against the door.

"Auntie says that your an...anime thing. Is that true? a...+Anima! That's it. Can you do awesome things and turn into an animal?" The teenager asked, tactlessly. Tash shrugged, looking away, her short dark hair hanging over her face.

"I don't know."

"That's a shame... ah well, tell me more about yourself, I mean you know who I am, Fernando Estaqui, singer and entertainer of the travelling Jongleurs. Pretty mundane all in all. Go to town, sing in town, leave town, repeat. So, what do you do?"

"...I made jewelry with my mother, every few weeks she'd go to Astar City and sell it, while I took care of things at home - my father died from a fever last winter."

Fernando's eyes darkened with sympathetic understanding.

"I never knew my parents. Auntie found me and Elise on the side of the road when we were little, kinda like you, I guess..."

Tasha nodded, clasping her elbows to her stomach. She wanted to tell this good-natured boy, who was only a year or so older than her, about Jekyl, and the wolves, but he might tell Nina that she was one of those +Anima things, and then she might get kicked out.

"Hey, you must be really bored, cooped up in this wagon all the time, lets go explore the forest! It's spring, so I bet we could find birds nests, baby rabbits, and all sorts of things...you do think baby animals are cute, right?" Fernando tilted his head and inspected Tasha curiously. Tasha, taken aback by the question was just about to nod when Fernando grinned. "Thought so! Let's go." he jumped to his feet, and with an ease that hinted at lot's of practise, flipped back the tight canvas covering the end of the caravan, making a hole in the roof just big enough to squeeze through.

"Ladies first." He grinned and bowed, holding his hands out to give Tasha a leg up. Whith a slight giggle, Tasha complied, squeezing through the opening to land gracelessly on the ground. Seconds later, Fernando followed landing lightly on his feet.

"Let's go!" He said, taking her hand and sneaking into the forest at the back of the caravan, keeping out of Nina's sight.

*


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter three: Fernando

Tash laughed, flopping down onto the soft green grass of a clearing, watching Fernando turn cartwheels around her.

"Thank you, Lady, I live only to please." He said, coming out of the last turn with a flip before kneeling down on one knee and kissing her hand gallantly.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" She asked, feeling pink tinge her cheeks.

"Of course, your wish is my demand, madamoiselle. Stand up and I'll show you." Fernando held out his hand, grinning. Still blushing slightly, Tash stood up, letting Fernando help her. He showed her how to position her feet, and hold her body and arms so that she wouldn't list to one side, laughing goodnaturedly at her early graceless attempts and encouraging her every time she made progress.

Half an hour later, they both flopped back down on the grass, panting, the blue light of dusk settling around them.

"We should probably go back, before Nina starts looking. Fernando said, when they'd both got their breath back. He was still smiling rougishly.

"Okay..." Tash stood up, and let him take her hand, as they walked back towards the caravan together. SHe couldn't ever remember having so much fun. Even if Nina would probably be furious at them for running off...

*

Tasha sat in the caravan again, listening to Fernando being yelled at, for his 'recklessness'. Nina had taken one look at them and sent Tash back to her caravan, before rounding on the boy, almost breathing fire.

"It was fine, auntie, we just went looking around the forest for a while." Fernando laughed, cutting over Nina's rant, completely unmoved by her fury. Tash shook her head in disbelief. She hated it when people got angry at her, it made her feel like she'd let everyone down. Even now, sitting in the caravan, she felt her cheeks burn with shame.

"No, it's not fine! Anything could have happened! You're a child, Fernando Esquati, and you are my responsibility! What if that girl really was dangerous, she could have killed you."

Tash felt her eyes widen, horrified tears welling up. Nina thought she would hurt Fernando?

"No way! She's nice! I trust her, and there's no way she'd have it in her to hurt someone."

Tasha bit back a sob, Ferndando was right, why did Nina think she would do something horrid like that? She bit her lip as the taste of hot blood came back to her, along with the sense of tearing muscles. Around her hands, grey fur began to spread over her skin, as the nails lengthened into claws.

"Then why does she have +Anima markings, and why won't she tell us how she got them?"

"I don't know! Maybe she doesn't remember!" Fernando was angry now, yelling back at his aunt.

"Then how can you _trust _her, if she won't even tell you that?"

Fernando didn't reply, and Tash felt fresh tears run down her cheeks. Maybe Nina was right.

Maybe she really was a monster...

*

"Pst, Tasha!" Fernando knocked on the back wall of the caravan, desperately hoping that Nina and Elise, sleeping in the tent by the fire wouldn't hear him. "Tash!"

Inside the caravan, it was silent, no signs of life evident. Suddenly worried, The boy climbed up the side, slipping under the canvas.

"Tasha?"

The girl was huddled by the door, Fernando could see her shoulders shaking even in the faint light, the sound of muffled sobs reaching his ears.

"Tasha, what's wrong?" Fernando asked, approaching her slowly, like he would if the horse that pulled the Caravan was being skittish.

"Go away." Tasha murmured, her voice thick and indistinct from crying.

"Is it becasue of Nina?" Fernando crouched down beside her, hesitantly placing one hand on her shoulder.

"She's right." Tasha said, looking up abruptly, her arms held tight across her chest as if she were trying to hold the tears in. Fernando's eyes widened, adn he instinctively pulled away slightly, seeint the claws framed by fur, the ears, the bloodstained fangs protruding from between bitten lips...

"Tash-"

"See?!" Tash stood up, pushing Fernando away with another sob.

"What are you doing Tash?" Fernando stood up, hands reaching towards the dark-haired, crying girl.

"I'm some sort of freak, Nina was right, I am dangerous. I fought off a whole wolf pack with these..."

"So? You wouldn't hurt someone unless you had to." Fernando wrapped his arms around her, pinning her hands against his chest as he enveloped her in a bear hug. "I still trust you."

At the words, Tash collapsed against him sobbing.

"I don't want to be a monster..."

Fernando held her tighter. murmuring quiet platitudes into the silky grey ears, making up his mind to take Tasha away from Nina, before his aunt could hurt her any more.

*

Sorry this is another short chapter, they'll hopefully get longer as I get a better idea of what I'm doing, and more stuff starts happening. until then, bear with me. ^_^ ~Ratpigeon.


	5. Chapter 5

This is for BFSF for your wonderfully nice review, Aleria14 for her professionally complimentary review and unto everyone else for their amazing support - reviews make me so happy~~ ^_^ Ratpigeon.

Also, now is appropriate to note: Unfortunately, by this time, Senri is about 50, Husky and Nana are about 47(?) and Cooro, having been resurected as described in Angel/Anima is about 30... to give you a time context...

Chapter 4: Travelling

Tasha opened her eyes, feeling warm sunlight on her eyelids, and hearing Fernando humming to himself. She was lying in the dappled morning light of a small grassy glade. She sat up, yawning and streching as the delicious scent of fresh fruit reaches her sensitive nose.

"Oh, you're up!" Fernando grins, holding out a small bowl full of sliced fruit. "I filched these from the tents last night." He holds up the large backpack that he'd taken with him last night. "I brought some money, food, and some clothes - you'll have to borrow mine though, since Elise is about six inches taller than you."

"Th-thanks..." muttered Tasha, picking up a piece of apple. "Um... Fernando?"

"Mm?" Fernando looks up from his own bowl of fruit, tilting his head curiously.

"Why...why are you doing this for me?"

"Huh?" Fernando asks, "I guess... well... becasue I like you... uh - I mean because your my friend you know?" Fernando flushed slightly, shrugging.

"Oh, uh thanks." Tasha felt a blush creeping up her own cheeks. "But, I mean, I'm... a freak..." Tasha looked at the black markings along the back of her hands, sighing in despair.

"You are not!" Fernando replied hotly. "That's just what idiots and bigots would think!"

"Bigots?" Tasha asked, stumbling over the unfamiliar word, forgetting for a moment about the way Nina had spoken about her.

"I don't know - It's a word I saw in a book once, and I think it sounded fitting..." Fernando chuckled, standing up and holding out a hand as he hoisted the backpack onto his shoulders. "Come on, I think we should go to the Kim-un-kur mountains - they were said to have a lot of +anima before - and they waere respected there, maybe they can help?"

Tasha smiled, taking the hand offered, blushing again as Fernandos fingers traced the claw-shaped black lines on the back of her hands before gripping it warmly in his own hand.

"I've been that way before, there are a couple of villages on the way, and a large town called Maggieville or something... Anyway, we can pick up more supplies on the way if we need them, as well as some girls clothes for you. Can you sing?"

"N-not really..." Tasha followed Fernando along, as they began to walk eastwards, towards the rising sun, and the imposing craggy peaks of the Kim-un-kur mountains rising in the distance.

"Well, I'll teach you then."

*

Miles away in a small village near Astar city, a young boy was playing in his garden, while his mother knitted a jumper for the baby brother or sister that he was going to have soon. It was a bright yellow, and the boy, Ared, couldn't wait to meet the baby - he would teach it to pick the juiciest pears on the tree by climbing up the wood pile, and how to skip rocks, and they would be the best of friends...

"Ared, can you clean up? Granny Marca is coming over soon." Marie, Ared's mother calls from inside.

"But mummy!! I already washed up for tea!" Athe five-year-old called back, slowly trying to approach a small songbird, sitting in the high branches of the pear tree. It's too high to reach from the woodpile, so the young boy is trying to climb up the smooth trunk of the tree.

"Five minutes Ared. And then you have to come in." Marie calls.

"But I don't want to!" Ared managed to hook an arm around one of the lower branches, wriggling up the trunk, shaking the pale green leaves slightly. The song bird looks down, fluffing it's bright red and blue feathers in indignation as it watches the little boy.

"Here, birdy birdy birdy..." Ared pulls himself further up the tree, cheeping unconvincingly.

"Ared!" MArie calls out in horror as she comes outside to berate her errant son, and saw him high above the ground, precariously balanced on a narrow branch, one hand reaching out to a brightly coloured bird.

"Huh? Mumm-" The boy turned on hearing his mother scream, and slipped.

Time froze.

Ared found himself in midair, cradled in soft, feathery warmth, facing two angels, a man with pitch black wings, and a beautiful white winged woman, smiling kindly at him.

"Don't worry, you're safe..."

"Wh-where am I?" Whimpered Ared, pulling the insubstantial feathers tighter around him.

"Just outside the waking world - you might call it a dream." The woman smiled at him, before redirecting her gaze slightly, to something just above him.

"You can put him down, we'll see him safe." Says the man, placing one arm around the woman's shoulder. The feathers ruffle angrily, and As Ared looks up, he sees a huge red and blue bird cradling him in it's wings. The bird squawks angrily.

"There is no need for you to give your anima - we can protect him. The +anima are gone." The bird squawked again, at the black-winged angel.

"We are not! There is a girl - we sense her - a wolf-child. I want to protect this boy - he's kind, he leaves out seeds and fruit." The bird changes into a beautiful woman with red and blue streaked hair, black lines covering her skin in strange patterns.

"Who are you?" Ared thinks he should be scared, but the woman is still holding him, and her skin is as soft as her feathers were.

"I will be you - I give you my life, for as long as you need it." THe woman smiles, brushing her lips against Ared's forehead, the black lines on her body disappearing as she begins to fade. "I will give you my wings, and help you find the other +anima..."

Ared nods, not understanding what is happening, as the two other people - the angels - also begin to fade.

*

Tasha freezes, turning to the south, feeling something tug her there, her anima activating of its own accord.

"What...?"

Fernando turns to Tasha as she snarls, shaking her head, ears twitching angrily.

"No! I won't leave! I saved her! Mine!"

"Tash-" The girl snarled again and collapsed as Fernando touched her shoulder.

"So, there is another +anima..."

Tasha looked up, seeing a blackhaired man and a white-winged woman standing in front of her. She also feels a pair of arms around her waist, and sees a young boy, about seven, covered in fine grey fur and thick ink-black markings identical to hers, his sharp fangs bared at the two people.

"I want to stay with her!"

"Jekyl..." The woman smiles slightly, her eyes showing a vague, distant interest.

"How did this happen?" The black-haired man fanns his wings.

"I don't know... but this one's body died before he gave up the anima..."

"What's going on?" Tasha looked from the boy with his arms around her waist, to the pair of winged creatures.

"We should leave them. This one is happy." The woman smiles kindly at Tasha, speaking to her companion.

"The Anima have only ever brought pain - you know as well as I..."

"That's not true..."

"A +anima is an outcast. Alone."

"They find each other... the +anima stand together."

"But the anima die for the children, when they don't need to - we can save teh children..."

"We did not save this one." The woman says pointing to Tasha.

"There's another one isn't there?" Jekyl says from Tasha's waist, speaking to the woman, pointedly ignoring the man.

"Yes - a bird, near Astar."

"She was easy to feel - there are only two of us..."

"There shouldn't be any..." snapped the man.

The ethereal woman murmured something in his ear, and he quieted, stepping back slightly.

"Jekyl... will you find her? And the boy, Ared..."

"There will only be the two of you, so stay close." Said the man, taking the woman in his arms. "We will still watch the children of the world, in your stead." The two fade into the misty dreamscape, and JEkyl turns to Tasha.

"I like the funny boy - he's nice. keep him. He can be our mate!"

"Wh-what?!" Tasha choked, her ears flaming.

"Well, I'm you, and I like him, and you like him and he likes us and looks strong, and since your a girl, you can't very well have a female as your mate - although I knew a wonderful wolf cub called Lupa..."

"J-jekyl?"

"We have to go back now." Jekyl grins, and fades into transparency, melding into Tasha's body, as the landscape tilts and changes.

"Tasha!! Tasha are you okay?"

Tasha looks up, seeing Fernando's face very close to her.

"I-I'm fine! Fine!!" She squeks, scrabbling away, her face flaming. "Anyway, we need to go towards Astar - there's a boy there... he's called Ared..."

"A boy?" Fernando's eyes widen, his eyebrows drawing together. "o...kay... let's go then." He smiles slightly and stands up, not offering his hand this time.

*

Well, here is a nice long chapter in rparation for my laxity. I hope it takes you a while to memorise BFSF, and hope everyone has much appreciation of it, and a desire to review.... :P ~Ratpigeon.


	6. Chapter 6

Awesomeness in the reviews!! thankyou unto everyone who I love~~!

Chapter five: Ared

Ared laughed as he felt himself floating, halfway between tree and ground, bright red and blue wings beating strongly around his small body, feathers sticking at odd angles out of his hair.

"Look mummy! Look! I can fly!" Marie is pale with horror, her eyes fiked on her son, as, unnoticed, the small parrot collapses, falling to the ground. Ared turns as he hears the thump, and swoops down in horror, picking the bird up and cradling it to his breast.

"Birdy? Birdy?! Mummy! Why won't the birdy wake up?!" Ared turns to his mother, his wings stiff with distress. "Make her better mummy!" Marie just shakes her head, backing away from her son.

"Marie? Ared? Are you two out in the garden?" Ared looks up, hearing his grandmothers voice and runs to her, holding the bird out to her. "What's wrong with the birdy?"

"Ared?" MArca, her black eyes still cheerful and lively under her now white hair, drops to her knees and wraps her arms around the boy, her hands running over his wings. "How did you- What happened?"

"I fell from the tree, and the birdy saved me, but now she won't move." Ared said, tears welling in his eyes. "Help her granny!"

"I don't think I can, dear... can you come with me for a bit?" MArca stands up and turns to her daughter. "Marie, I'm going to take Ared to Astar - don't worry he'll be safe." MArie nodded mutely, still staring at the wings sprouting form her sons shoulders.

"I don't want to go! I want to stay with mummy! Why are we going?!" Ared planted his feet in the ground, still clutching the parrot as tears began to fall down his cheeks.

"Don't you want to go on an adventure with Grandma? I promise I'll see what I can do to help the birdy..." MArca held a hand out to the boy, smiling. "Now, can you put your wings away for a bit?"

Ared paused, biting his lip.

"Promise?"

"Of course. come on Ared."

"Okay..." Ared took his grandmothers hand and let her lead him out of the house, leaving his horror-struck mother to sink slowly to her knees on the soft grass of the garden, one hand absently tracing the line of her collarbone where six faint white scars, almost like gills, were hidden under her dress.

*

The Kim-un-kur mountains rise high above the clouds, standing between Sailand and Astaria, eternal and majestic in their craggy splendour. Standing upon one plateau, staring out on the valleys and ridges plummeting away from his feet was a man, his iron-grey hair blowing around his darker grey eyes, the blue beads in it clinking softly. His right arm was held tightly in his left hand, faint white lines like a stylised claw tracing across the back of his weathered brown hand, before disappearing under his sleeve.

This was the place when he first gained that anima, but he hadn't been up here in a long time, not since he lost the uncontrollable spirit inside him that had been his bear anima...

*

The man stiffened as he felt a disorienting lurch as the scenery changed around him. instinctively calling up his anima as he looked around, studying his surroundings. HE was in some sort of void, an empty space, with no walls, floor, ceiling or gravity, simply a sea of transparently cloudy shapes, drifting in and out of sight at the edge of infinity. He hissed as he realised that his vision was unlimited by the black felted eyepatch, and his right hand instantly rose to cover his eye, sure, even as he did so, that it would already be too late, that the +anima would already be out of control...

The smooth, lightly calloused skin of his palm pressed against his cheek and eyelid, ho trace of claws or fur, or of the mad bloodlust that hid under the eyepatch.

The Kim-un-kur looked around, his eyes widening with surprise as he saw that there was no sign of his +anima on his arm, he had just lifted his wrist to his quiet grey eyes to examine it, when he heard a roar behind him.

THe dark-haired man spun around, his arms coming up defensively as he saw the huge bear standing over him, foam dripping from it's vicious fangs.

"Amarui." Man and bear froze, hearing the voice of a woman, but one so ethereally beatuiful that it could not have come from any humans. The kim-un-kur's eyes widened as he recognised the white feathered angel, standing beside a black-haired man.

"...Blanca.... Cooro?"

"Not quite." THe woman smiled, as the man beside her stiffened slightly. "Hello again Senri." Blanca smiled, before turning back to Amarui and fearlessly walking towards it, her hands reaching up to cup it's slavering jaws. "I know, I know hat happened to him, but you can't maintain your hatred forever." The bear growled, pushing her away with a massive paw. The black haired man leapt to her side with a single powerful beat of his wings, steadying her against his chest and speaking.

"Amarui. You are one of the old Anima, and you have travelled through several generations of Kim-un-kur. But since the day Upiya died..." The bear roared in anger this time, and, Senri realised with surprise, grief.

"Come with us, Amarui. Upiya is on the other side of these walls." Blanca said, taking one of Amarui's paws in her own, and beginning to lead Amarui away. However, as the bear passed Senri, he stopped abruptly, lurching down onto all four legs and roughly pushing his head against Senri's chest, in a gesture of clumsy affection that knocked him backwards with its force.

Senri gasped as he felt the hard rocks of the mountain slam against his back, feeling his eyepatch loosen and blow away in the wind. He looked up, seeing the sky, fine cllouds scudding across its upper reaches, and feeling a faint burning tingle running along the black lines that had been his +anima as they vanished.

*

Senri turned back towards the Kim-un-kur settlement. Amarui had been a frightening anima, but, in the end, when it had come time to part...

Shaking his head to clear it, the grey-eyed man turned up to look at the sky, feeling the first few raindrops from the looming clouds fall on his cheeks as he stood, a solitary figure, as weathered and solid as the mountain he stood on.

*

"What's wrong, Fernando?" Tahsa asked, as they walked in silence towards Astar, the faint sense of another +anima still tugging at her.

"So, I guess when you and this Ared meet up, the two of you won't need a poor gypsy like me anymore." Fernando said, with a half-hearted grin.

"What are you talking about? I can't take care of myself, let alone a little kid!" Tasha cried in horror, grabbing his hand. "You can't leave me!"

"A little kid?"

"Well, I think so..." Tasha frowned, not sure quite how she knew. "Anyway, we should find him before something bad happens to him..."

"Oh, okay, you sure he's a little kid?" Fernando asked, his fingers tightening around Tasha's. The girl nodded after a second, more to stifle the urge to rub her cheek against Fernando's shoulder, than in agreement. "Let's go then." Fernando grinned and laughed, dragging Tash into a run as he set off down the path.

*

THere we go!! I got to use the word 'slavering' so I'm happy, isn't it an awesome word? And an aside, MArie is probably in her twenties, so she would have only had her anima for a little while when she was very young, and it would have been a fish, but only a pair of gills and scales across her arms and shoulders, ending in webbed fingers.


	7. Chapter 7

Awesomeness in the reviews!! thankyou unto everyone who I love~~! And sorry this one took a while - it is getting hard to maintain, since I'm starting to need serious plotiness...O.O

Chapter six: The +Anima Research Facility.

"He's not here." Tasha stood outside the village, concealed behind a small hillock, her wolf-ears pricked and every line of her body showing tension. "He went... that way."

Fernando followed the way she was pointing, and gulped as he realised it was directly to Astar city.

"You realise that you have some fairly noticable black lines on your face, right Tash? In a place that probably still remembers what a +anima looks like, that probably isn't brilliant. Or any kind of good."

"I don't care. Let's go." The girl stood up, her anima vanishing in a second as she glared at Fernando, her green eyes fierce under her dark chestnut hair. She was definitely getting over becoming a +anima, and was probably becoming even more assertive because of it. Fernando sighed, and followed her, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth - this was definitely lots of fun though...

*

Ared clung to Granny Marca's dress with one hand as they walked through the crowded streets of Astar. The other hand gently held the small limp corpse of the birdy that had helped him. THe people bustled around him, barely noticing him, or the old woman, as she walked down, turning confidently through a series of back alleys. She stopped at a small, non-descript door, pulling out a heavy bunch of keys. Ared didn't see why the door would need keys - it had no keyhole, but Marca inserted one of the smaller keys into a crack the wall, turning it until a small panel clicked out of the wall, swinging oben to reveal several ridged metal rings with numbers on them. Granny marca began to turn the rings, muttering numbersto herself.

"what's that, Granny Marca? What's it do? Is it a secret? Is it _magic?_" Ared leaned up on his tiptoes, trying to see what she was doing.

"No, it's a special lock." Marca said, sliding the last ring so that the seven was facing her. She then pushed her hand against the door, and it slid sideways with a hiss, revealing that it was sturdy oak, maybe four inches thick, and banded with iron on the inside. At her feet opened a long, steep stairwell, descending into the blackness.

"I don't want to go down there, Granny!! I don't! It's scary." Ared tried to back away. "And you promised you'd help the Birdy! We have to go to an animal place - she wouldn't like it underground. You can't _fly _underground!"

"Ared, we need to go down here to meet the man who might be able to help your birdy - his name is Professor Aaron, and he is very smart, and knows all about +anima, like you." Marca nelt down in front of Ared, her grey fringe falling in her eyes. "You want to help the birdy, right?"

"I don't want to go down there!" Ared yelled, twisting away from hsi granny. "NO! _Nonononono! _I won't!" he fell back, clutching the birdy to his chest, his lower lip trembling.

"Ared..." MArca made a move to approach her grandson, but the boy leapt to his feet and sprinted away, feathers beginning to sprout from his shoulders and scalp. "_No! _Ared, Don't!" Marca shouts to the little boy as he leaps into the air, his wings beating powerfully as they lift him up. He ignores her, except to fly away as fast as possible, rising higher over the roofs of Astar city.

MArca watches him fly away, her hands shaking, before she turns and descends the staircase, locking the door behind her.

*

"Look! It's Astar city!" Tasha pointed with a laugh at the large city, rising like a small man-made hillock out of the plain.

"How are we going to find your friend?" Fernando asked - the qurestion had been bothering him, but Tasha turned to look at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I can smell him - he smells like a person and a bird, at the same time. And I think Jekyl can sense his Anima... but I don't know if I can... I could before, but it's almost gone..." Tasha trailed off, rubbing her ear with the side of her hand as she shrugged, the marks on her face and arm filling out to the shape of her Anima.

"You realise that people aren't used to seeing half-wolves ahnging around the middle fo a city..." Fernando pointed out, the corners of his mouth twitching as Tasha's ears drooped.

"Oh... right.. we-" She broke off, nostrils flaring and ears perking up, as she turned to look at Astar city, baring her teeth and sniffing the slight breeze that blew towards them. "I smell fear. Lots."

"Oh?" Fernando took a diplomatic step back as she growled at him, baring her fangs. they weren't quite as large, yellow and long as he'd been told wolf fangs should be, but they looked very sharp, and there seemed to be a lot of them.

Tasha didn't say anything, she simply growled again, her ears flat against her head, and claws flexing restlessly, before she ran off, directly towards Astar city.

Fernando swore, made up some swear-like sounding words, and then muttered a few colourful phrases, before he followed Tasha, who could run surprisingly fast.

*

Tada... here it is!! Finally... Sorry.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Seven: Convergence.

As Ared flew away, climbing up on the warm thermals around the city, the people pointed at him, sillhouetted blackly against the noonday sun. Murmurs began among the throngs, frightened, accusatory. That creature was unnatural, the +anima had returned and it was a scout for an invasion, it had to be killed before it could hurt anyone...

Below, the city guard began to nock crossbows, skhielding their eyes against the light as they tried to get a shot at the winged boy.

The child however knew none of this, as he flew away, twirling in the sunlight and laughing at the clouds. Flying was the most amazing thing he'd ever done, it completely wiped away the fear he had felt when Granny Marca had tried to drag him down the stairs. He surveyed the city, looking at all the people, they were pointing at him, and staring, so he did a backflip in the air to show him how good he was, waving down at them with a broad grin.

"Hello!!"

A howl sounded across the plane, sending a sense of fear shivering through his wings to settle in the pit of his stomach - _predator_... He twisted, flying up and away from the people, scouting to identify the threat, high above its reach. There was a twang and a whine, and a streak of black flashed past him, falling into the sky. Ared looked back, and saw several men in shiny armor standing high on the city walls, strange things pointing at him. Thre was another twang, and another black bolt sped past, narrowly missing his left wing. Ared put on a burst of speed. Why where they trying to hit him? He wondered, as his wings folded tightly to his sides, dropping him several feet under a concerted volley, before fanning out to shoot him forwards, tilting and swaing as they seemed to move of their own accord. Approaching on the field, he could see two people, standing near the boarders of the city. One of them had ears, and as he saw her, she howled again, her voice piercingly loud.

"ARED!!" She screamed cupping her hands to her mouth and yelling, as the boy reached the edge of the city. "_ARED!!!_"

Ared tilted his wings, flying closer, leaving most of the bolts falling short behind him. Who was that, and how did she know his name? She probably wouldn't be mean though...

With that thought, Ared began to swoop down. However, as he did, one of the bolts, sliced along the back of his wing, burying itself in the flesh just between the radius and ulna of his left wing, sending an icy pain shuddering through him, freezing his body, and sending him into a freefall tumble. HE tried to flap, but his left wing wouldn't move properly, and when sent waves of increasing pain through his shoulder, until his vision blurred and darkened.

He felt himself hit something, not quite soft, but not quite hard, and blacked out.

*

"Is he alive? Are you okay?" Tasha appeared above Fernando's shoulder seconds after he'd managed to catch the little boy. She bit her lip as she saw the bolt lodged in hsi wing, red blood matting and darkening the already crimson feathers.

"He's alive, but he landed fairly hard - we need to get him away, so that no one comes to try finish him off or something." Fernando gasped after a moment. He'd barely managed to catch the boy, and even though he had, they'd both hit the ground fairly hard, shortly after.

Tasha nodded, her ears and claws vanishing into the inky black lines as she gingerly lifted the boy off Fernando, carrying him bridal style so that the older boy could get up.

"He's so little..." She murmured, examining Ared's slack pale features. "How could someone try and kill a little boy?"

Fernando shrugged, not really having an answer either, before he took Ared off Tasha. "do you know what'll happen if he lets his anima... become dormant?" he asked, examinging the limp left wing. The bolt had gone all the way through, and was poking out the other side.

"No... When I got hurt, when Jekyl... When I got hurt on my anima, the injuries were still there when my anima faded, but if he let his wings go back into his body, I don't know what would happen." Tasha shrugged, touching her shoulder with a wince for the remembered pain. Fernando realised with a jolt of shock that the deep claw marks there probably hadn't healed, and he hadn't remembered to check the dressings for the week they had been travelling. THey could have gotten infected...

"Well, the first thing we have to do is get the bolt out of his wing. There'S a stream near here. I camped there with Elise and Nina once."

Fernando lead the way, realising with a sense of trepidation that he had two, possibly very badly injured, people with a strange power that no-one understood, and everyone seemed to be trying to eliminate. And he was going to turn purple from the bruises of having Ared land on him.

*

Tasha sat by the stream, hovering over Fernando and Ared, as the elder boy dressed the youngers wing. He'd managed to pull the bolt out, carefully snapping it off near the base and then pushing it through the wing. Ared, even unconscious, had jerked and screamed, but Tasha had been hoding him down, so that he didn't injure himself... more.

"I'm not sure how to bandage this - I've never tried to doctor any thing bird-like before, I just watched Nina when she fixed up _my _various cuts and scrapes..." Fernando shrugged, pulling out a few of the herbs he had snagged from Nina's tent on their night of escape.

"Can you set a fire, Tasha? We need to make sure his injury doesn't get infected..." Fernando paused, not quite sure what to do next. Boiling water was important, you put rags in it, which you could use as bandages or for a poultice... He sighed, propping Ared's wing on a rock so that the injury was clear of the ground, and stood up, beginning to pace around.

"What's wrong?" Tasha asked, clumsily building a fire. Fernando went to help her as he noticed how badly she was doing, sending her to fetch a pan full of water. After a few minutes she came back, and Fernando put the pan on the fire. They watched the water in silence for a few minutes - there wasn't very much, and it was right among the flames, so it didn't take very long to boil. When steam began to rise, Fernando put a small sieve over the pan and covered it with a layer of bandages, before covering it all with a big lid - the steam cleaned the bandages without making them soaking wet - something to do with it being hot. As he did so, he finally got up the nerve to say what had been on his mind.

"We need an adult to help us - this kid, Ared, is badly hurt, and I'm no doctor. Also, you still have injuries don't you? And our food will only last so long, and..." He broke off and shrugged, his face creasing into a frown as he walked around the small fire to Tasha. "Can I see your shoulder - that was the worst injury, right?" Tasha nodded, pulling her shirt off her shoulder to reveal the now dirty white bandages.

"It itches a bit, but other than that it's kind of numb. I'd almost forgotten about it." Fernando couldn't remember if that was a good or a bad sign, as he pulled the bandage off with trembling fingers. They came loose, cracking like bark away from her shoulder to reveal the pale skin underneath. The injury had almost completely healed, leaving raw pink scars crossing the black lines of her anima as they reached towards her neck.

"Huh, look at that." Tasha said, turning to Ared and slipping her shirt back over the shoulder. "Maybe he'll heal fast too, it's probably something to do with being part animal, they're tougher than humans."

"I guess, but if that's the case and your wolf anima made you heal faster, he's a bird, and they're fragile. Especially around the wings." Fernando gestured to the white bandage. "Anyway, we really need to find the Kim-un-kur now - maybe they can tell us how +anima heal, and help Ared with his wing." Tasha nodded, bending over Ared again and patting his hair gently, as Fernando fetched some of the steaming hot, and fairly soggy bandages from their sauna.

"Okay, well, I will _not _even _try _to stich this wound - I don't even know if it's possible - but Nina taught me about a few herbs, so I'll try and make a poultice.

Tasha watched in fascination as he pulled out several small pouches, each one labeled with neat stiching. Fernando picked out of them, emtying a few pinches of birch leaves, comfrey root and tormentil root. Aside from the birch leaves, she had no idea what any of the dry plant matter was, as Fernando wrapped them in a small square of bandage, kneading it for a few moments to release a pungent scent, before he pushed it against the ragged hole in Ared's wing, and carefully trying to wrap the longer strips of bandage around it. There was a small pool of blood on the ground under it, and Fernando realised that he had forgotten to put pressure on the injury to stop it bleeding. It didn't look like too much blood, but Ared was very small, and he'd lost quite a bit before they got to the stream.

"Let's go." Tasha said, as soon as Fernadno had tied the last bandage on. Before Fernando could even stand up, she had stooped down and lfted Ared, cradling him in her arms as she set off towards the huge Kim-un-kur mountains looming at the western horizon.

*

Sorry it's so late, but I made it extra long as a compensation - almost double length. I would have posted it up a few days ago, but there was a complaint about cliffhangers, so I decided to make it longer and forego a cliffie. Anyways, Enjoy my good friends, and happy new year!!! ^_^ ~Ratpigeon.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter eight: Kim-un-kur.

"Look Ared, we're nearly there!" Tasha said, pointing to the small mountain path that they stood at the foot of. "As soon as Fernando getts back with the supplies, we'll go and visit the 'Kim-un-kur', and they'll fix your wing right up, okay?" The blond child nodded, his eyes huge in his pale face. He was healing faster than Fernando had expected, but they hadn't dared to let him pull his wings back into his body, without knowing something of what would happen.

"Why are we going up the mountains though? I want to go back to my mummy." He tugged at one of the feathers taht grew among his hair, and looked back down the hill, eyes brimming with tears, to where they had cremated the tiny, cold corpse of his 'birdy'. Tasha shuddered, and felt eyes begin to fill as she remembered the heart wrenching scene from that morning.

*

_"Where am I?" The little boy jerked into consciousness, siting bold upright in Fernando's arms. He froze as the movement jolted his wing, sending waves of pain through his body, too intense for his young mind to comprehend. "Oww, it hurts, why does it hurt... Where;s my mummy, where's the birdy?" HE curled up in Fernando's eyes, limbs shiverinig and tears running down his cheeks as he whimpered. "Why does it hurt? Make it stop. Oww... it's..."_

_"Shhhh..." Tasha murmured, as Fernando handed the boy to her, rummaging through his little bag of herbs for 'tormentil', which he'd said stopped pain. When he found the small satchel, he pulled out a few of the flaky leaves and chewed on them for a moment, before he carefully rubbed the now sodden mass into the bandage. It was the day after tehy had found him tumbling from the sky, adn he had been unconscious that entire time, as the two older children tried to cover as much of the distance to the Kim-un-kur mountains as they could. _

_"Don't worry, kid, you'll feel better sooon." He said soothingly, humming a quiet tune to the boy as he whimpered in Tasha's arms. After a few minutes, his whimpers quieted, as the tormentil numbed the injury. _

_"Can you help my birdy too?" He asked, biting his lip as he looked up at Fernando, his cheeks wet and tearstained._

_"Your birdy?" _

_Ared nodded, reaching inside his shirt to pull out the small, brightly coloured corpse of a parrot._

_Tasha sucked in a breath as she saw it, and held the boy tighter to her, careful not to touch his wing. Fernando had gone pale too, as he stroked Ared's hair._

_"I'm afraid that I can't help you birdy, Ared, no-one can." He said gently. _

_"But Grandma Marca promised she'd help her! SHe promised that the birdy would be fine!"_

_"Grandma Marca was wrong, the birdy is gone." Fernando looked away as he spoke, not wanting to see the desolation in Ared's eyes._

_"But she's not! She's right here! She's just... sleeping-like!"_

_"No Ared." Tasha said, forcing herself to meet the agonising expression in Ared's eyes, as she remembered Jekyl's death, how he'd sacrificed himself for her... "Ared, did the birdy give you her wings?" She asked, in a sudden flash of inspiration. The boy nodded, slowly, uncertain. "Well, then, the birdy isn't gone, she's still here. She just lives inside you know, okay? She doesn't need that body anymore."_

_"Inside me?"_

_"Mm-hm. She is living inside you now. Taht's why you can fly with her wings, see?"_

_"She said she wanted to protect me... is that why?" Ared rubbed at his cheeks, drying his tears, looking at Tasha with unfounded hope, as she continued speaking, not really believing her own words, not even sure where they were coming from._

_"Of course. She made it so that she could protect you for ever. You're a lucky boy." _

_"Is that what she meant by giving me her life?" _

_"Yes. Definitely." Tasha said, meeting Ared's eyes for a moment longer before looking away. _It's not just my fault that Jekyl died, _she thought, _I practically killed him for my +anima...

_"We should bury your birdy, Ared, she doesn't need that body any more."_

_"No! Don't put her in the ground. She wouldn't want that. We don't like the dark. Let her fly... Put her in the sky." _

_"Cremate her." Tasha said, standing up. "I'll go fetch wood." She walked a short distance away, to where there was a small stand of trees, and began to gather fallen sticks, letting Fernando explain to the boy. When she returned, Ared was standing solemnly beside Fernando, the little bird in his hands. He carefully laid her body on the pile of sticks that Tasha built, before stepping back to let Fernando light the pyre. they watched in silence as the body burned, and after a few minutes, Ared turned away, walking up the hill. Tasha stayed behind, remembering Jekyl, his body left unremembered on the ground in some nameless part of the forest._

_"Don't you want to say goodbye to her?" Fernando asked Ared as the boy walked away. _

_"I don't need to." He said, turning back with a faint smile, an expression far older than his years. "She's right here with me."_

_*_

"I'm back - I got some more tormentil, as well as some food." Tasha's head jerked up from where she and Ared had been leaning against the tree, unable to go to the small cottage a few hundred metres away because of the obvious black lines on Tasha's arms and cheeks, as well as because of Ared's large red wings.

"Good, let's go." Tasha stood up, turning to Ared. "Do you want another piggy back? You need to rest as much as possible so your wing gets better."

"Okay..." Ared said doubtfully, climbing onto Tasha's back and sending a faint twinge through the scar on ehr shoulder.

"We may even get to one of the lower down villages this evening." Fernando said as he shouldered the pack, leading the way up the treacherous path.

Tasha nodded. She hadn't said much since the birdy's funeral - she was to caught up in her guilt over Jekyl's death.

_Don't be silly. I would have died if you hadn't taken care of me those first weeks. And if I hadn't given you my anima. The pack would have killed us anyway."_

Tasha stopped dead at the bossy child's voice in her mind.

_See? I'm not really dead either. You should really listen to what you say._

_"_It's called 'practise what you preach'." She murmured, a smile tweaking the corners of her mouth.

_Whatever - I don't care about human sayings, but my mother once told me that the strength of the pack lies in the_... he stopped, and an image formed in Tasha's head, conveying trust teamwork, and a deep bond of love, tying erything together_. So, if you're going to be silly, then our pack can't be strong, can we? Now. Let's go see the Kim-un-kur_.

Jekyl fell silent in her mind, and Tasha realised that Fernando had also stopped, and was staring at her.

"Are you okay, Tash?" He asked hesitantly - she realised with a twinge of embarrassment that it must have sounded like she was talking to herself.

"Fine, I just.. realised something. don't worry about it." Seh smiled, genuinely, and continued up the track to walk beside Fernando, letting her arm brush against his.

*

Tada!! Nice and fast. I was going to get them to the Kim-un-kur, but my muse (a very lazy being) decided that I had to write this instead, and actually, my personal opinion is that this is one of the better chaps in this story. Next, i'm going to start trying for more descriptive passages.... O.O  
Anyway, as always, thanks for reading, and please review!!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Nine: Mountains. (I'm sorry!!!!!)

"Come on Ared." Tasha held out her hand to the small boy as he stumbled on another of the rocks jutting out of the steep path. "Here, I'll carry you again for a bit." She bent over to let the little boy climb onto her back, brushing the sweat out of her eyes. They had been climbing for more than an hour, and it felt like they had been sliding down almost as much as they had been struggling up.

"I'll carry you when Tash gets tired, okay 'Red?" Fernando said from just ahead where he was carrying their pack. "The Kim-un-kur will probably find us soon. They're not known for being friendly though, especially to Astarians, so Tash, can you bring out yuor +anima too?" He gripped a small tree and tugged TAsha to her feet, helping her and Ared up a particularly steep part of the path.

They continued climbing in tired silence until late in the afternoon, Tasha and Fernando occasionally switching between pack and Ared, or the little boy putting up another valiant effort to climb the mountain himself.

"Who are you?" Tasha whirled. She had been walking ahead with the pack as Fernando held Ared's hand - whose good wing was drooping and his eyes kept slipping shut. Standing in the long shadow of a rocky outcrop was a tall Kim-un-kur man with long dark hair tied bith red beads. Resisting the urge to snarl at the intruder, Tasha backed up, placing herself in front of Ared and Fernando, her soft wolf's ears flat against her head.

"I am Fernando Esquati - and these two are both, as you can see, +anima. Tasha and Ared." Fernando said, placing a hand on Tasha's shoulder and lifting Ared up, careful of the child's still injured wing. "We were hoping you could help Ared - he was shot with a crossbow bolt in his wing, and we don't know how to tend it." Tasha nodded, although,, judging by the Kim-un-kur's stunned expression, she thought that Fernando may have said too much at once.

"Please help us?" she asked in a quiet voice, too tired to try and sound persuasive like Fernando had managed so effortlessly.

"Come this way." The man jerked his head, beads jangling, towards a narrow path that the three children would never have noticed, winding away from the main trail in a jumble of rocks.

Without waiting to see if they would obey, he set off down the path, although he did slow down enough for the threesome to keep up.

*

"I'm... Senri." THe leader of the clan was a rugged man in his sixties, blue beads adorning his grey hair. Tasha noticed faint scars tracing a claw pattern up the back of his right arm, as well as the old scars over his left eye. His left arm was idly brushing along it, as his distant grey eyes stared intently at her - Ared had been hustled off with several of the older Kim-un-kur, who promised that they would help his wing. "You're +Anima... how?"

"I don't know..." Tasha said, stepping closer to Fernando. when she'd reached the village of the Kim-un-kur, she had let her anima fade back, the scents of cooking meat almost overwhelming her sensitive nose. "I was... attacked, by wolves... and my... friend, Jekyl, a wolf cub was killed." Tasha broke off, covering the black lines on her cheek self-conscioulsy with the back of her hand.

"And the... other one?"

"We don't know - I was told to find him, and I could... _feel _where he was, even when he was miles away, is that normal?"

Senri thought for a moment, before beckoning the two children to follow. without a word of explanation, he lead them into one of the small huts at the edge of the village. Inside was an ancient Kim-un-kur man, his wrinkled brown face covered in fine white scars that where similar to the ones on Tasha's cheeks except far more complex - almost like a stylised wolf's muzzle.

"This is the elder." Senri said, before squatting down and touching the lines on Tasha's hands. "Good claws." He said, before turning to leave.

"Senri had one of the most powerful +anima ever to exist among the Kim-un-kur." The elder said suddenly, the beads in his white hair clatter. "He was a bear - Amarui - and one of the few anima known to pass through several generations of +anima without changing. Even now Senri is sometimes distracted by the echoes of his presence, and the memories of when they were together..." There was something significant in the Elders voice, and Tasha felt Fernando tense slightly beside her, noticing it as well, maybe even understanding something of the meaning behind it.

"Can you tell us about the +anima, please, Elder?" Tasha asked.

The elder nodded, a jerking motion, gesturing for the two twelv-year-olds to sit down.

"Of course. Most people believe that an Anima is simply something that allows young children to grow animal parts, but that, of course is completely wrong." The elder settled back after his introduction, and his voice took on a hypnotic tone. "The anima are _souls..._ they dcome from the death of a living creature with the great desire to protect another, and remain with their +anima until there is no further need for protection...

_Most anima were old - they had travelled through many hosts, reincarnating again and again when there was a need, there personalities fading as their minds receded more and more to whatever afterlife they had seen. That is why Amarui was so different - he lost his first +anima, and the pain of that prevented him from ever leaving this world. By the time they vanished, most of the anima had very little of their consciousness left, or the other abilities of a Primal +anima. The first anima, drawn directly from the life-force of a living creature, were much more sensitive - their personalities infused the +anima, as well as their physical abilities, which were often superior to the later generations. The Primal +anima were also said to share a much deeper link than later generations, being able to sense each other, as well as see and communicate with anima in the afterworld... _

_There are stories about the first +anima..._

*

Selene turned as she felt Upiya coming up behind her. The handsome young man laughingly enveloped her in a bear hug - literally, as his right arm, and the left half of his face, was covered in shaggy fur. She pressed her face against the musty warmth of his fur as he ran his hands down the feathers that covered her back, sprouting out into the huge wing and tail feathers of a bald eagle.

"How's Amarui?" She asked, running her hands through the thick fur, feeling the ridged scars on Upiya's arm underneath.

"Possessive and protective," the young man said, a shadow of sadness crossing over hsi face. "I can't believe he did that for me though, I would have survived, and he had cubs..."

Selene chirped in sympathy, her feathers ruffling.

"Well they'll be fiine with the two of you helping to take care of them, won't they?"

"I guess that my mother can't get annoyed at me for not settling down to have kids anymore then." Upiya said wiht a laugh, closing the subject.

Selene smiled, tilting her head back. "Feel those winds..." She said, fanning her wings, and letting the strengthening breeze play along her feathers.

"Smell that mountain goat." Upiya replied, pointing with a grin, nudging Selene with his left elbow.

"Bet I can get to it first." She said, kissing him on the cheek before focussing her sharp golden eyes on the placidly grazing animal, and taking off, feeling the spirit of Altaru, the great Eagle who had plucked her, like a fish, out of a flooded river when she was a baby, and had remained by her for fifteen years, before, his wings slowed with age, he had given up his anima to continue protecting her.

But she was lucky... She looked down at Upiya, running towards the goat with a fiercely joyful expression, except that even in the thrill of hunting, his eyes were stained with sadness.. So many +anima had to live wiht the guilt of a companion's death for their gift...

Selene swept down, her wings buffeting Upiya as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you..."

*

_Selene and Upiya, among the most famous of Primal +anima, had one cub, before Upiya, tragically, perished, plumetting from a mountain cliff. THe anima of Amarui went mad at the death of his +anima host, and remained at the cliffs, attacking anyone who came near, until Selene and Uria, her and Upiya's daughter, came. _

_Uria was the first +anima with a second generation anima, but Amarui's rage soon drove her mad too, until she left the village, living as a wild creature. Amarui came through four more generations of that family before we managed to control his rage and grief..._

The elder stopped talking, his eyes on the hide door of the hut, where Senri stood, one hand over his left eye.

"Elahna has finished stiching and cleaning his wound." He said to Tasha and Fernando, touching them on the shoulder and leading them out of the tent.

*

FINISHED!!!! The extra story was just a bit of inspiration, to highlight the old +anima, but I enjoyed writing it. Also, I'm sorry for the late update, especially since the explanation in this chapter was meant to go in the last one. Anyway, next they're probably off to Sailand, to visit NAna and Husky.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter ten: Amber

The three spent the next week in the village while Ared's injury healed, although by the time that they were ready to leave, more than one of the Kim-un-kur would be glad to see the back of them, after having had to hold Ared down when he wanted to fly.

The Kim-un-kur were a strange people, decided Tasha as she looked through the food that she had been given for the journey, Fernando sorting clothes and medicinal herbs across from her - they'd also recieved another small pack to carry stuff in. She wasn't sure whether or not she liked this remote mountain village, there were secrets and grudges swirling around, thick with time, and concentrated by isolation. She'd even felt hot, angry eyes directed at her, when she had gone out with Senri a few days ago to hunt.

She grinned at the memory - they'd climbed up to a small plateau, where there were dozens of small goats...

"You're growling." Fernando said, looking up with a raised eyebrow, his handsome olive features had become even more tanned since she'd met him - but his teeth still sparkled white when he smiled.

Tasha blushed, covering her mouth as she realised she was also baring ehr teeth. That was another reason she had mixed feelings about the Kim-un-kur - she was becoming more wolfish by the day.

_That's because we're getting closer! _Jekyl whispered in her mind, wrapping ghost-arms around her shoulders. _It was no fun when you couldn't hear me. can we go hunting again today? _

"Shh, Jekyl - I'm busy."

_But why are we taking _bread_? I don't like bread. _Jekyl whined, as Tasha turned back to her task, ignoring the wolfcub.

"Jekyl?" Fernando asked, looking rather confused. Tasha winced - she hadn't wanted him to know that she heard the voice of a dead dog in her head. Ared was different - he spoke to the Birdy all the time, and was six, but F_ernadno..._

_You think he'd be a strong mate. So do I. Not as good as Lupa though... _

"Shut up!"

"Tash?"

"... uh.... yes?" Tash tried to look innocent, and sane.

"Who are you talking to?"

"Uh..." Tasha strained her ears, feeling them fluff up as she caught every sound in the village. "Senri wants to see us - he was calling." She stood up, stuffing the last of the bread in the bag, and hauling Fernando to his feet before he could protest. "ARED!!!" She called to the sky, her free hand cupping her mouth. The little boy had been up playing with the clouds all day, since it was the first time he'd been allowed to fly all week.

She waited for a few moments, until she spotted a small red figure swooping down. A few minutes later it barrelled into her and Fernando, wrapping its arms around them with a delighted shout.

"Yes Tashy?" Ared asked when everyone had dusted themselves off.

"Uncle Sen wants us, 'Red." She said, taking his hand with a smile, using the nickname Fernando had come up with for him - it was fitting. Ared nodded, and followed the two older children, flying at shoulder height, his wings stirring up the dust. Tasha grinned at him, avoiding Fernando's sharp stare.

"Uncle Sen!" Ared yelled as soon as the kim-un-kur chief was in sight. He was standing wiht his wife - a woman who still maintained a vital energy that leant both grace and elegance to her movements, making her seem much younger than the slightly faded amber hair and faint wrinkles implied.

"Auntie Rosie!" Ared flew over to hug her gleefully - she was his favourite person in the village, especially since she had been the one to decree him able to fly again.

"You wanted us?" Tasha asked, self-consciously letting go of Fernando's hand as Rose's sharp eyes flicked over the two of them.

"You're going soon..." Senri said, blinking.

"Yes, we are - we thought there might be other +anima showing up or something." Fernando said with a diplomatic shrug.

"What this big bear meant to say was that if you're going, then fyou shouldn't go alone - you're too young to take care of yourselves. Especially with Ared." Rose said, resting a hand on her husband's shoulder. "And so, the tribe has decided that you should take one of our more skilled fighters with you to keep an eye on you. Especially since Kim-un-kur prided themselves on their +anima, and now we're feeling left out."

"Amber." Senri said, beckoning.

A young woman with dark auburn hair made her way forwards, the blue beads in the thick mane clicking softly. Her grey-green eyes surveyed the group.

"Yes dad?"

"This is Amber, our youngest daughter, and one of our more talented hunters. Since she's only sixteen, she shouldn't be too out of place." Rose said.

"Heya kiddies. So, you guys are the new generation of +anima?" Amber asked cheerfully. Fernando bristled a bit, and Tasha shot her a glare.

"I turn fourteen in less then a month." Fernando said.

"And I'm already thirteen." Tasha added.

"So she's only two or three years older than you - perfect." Rose said with a grin.

"Not kiddies, Amber." Senri said with a faint frown at his daughter.

"Okay, fine. Well then, I'm Amber. I would have come to meet you earlier, except I was up in the mountains running a message to one of the remote tribes." She held out a hand with a warm smile. "So, what are your names?"

"I'm Fernando, and this is Tasha, and-"

"I'm Ared!" the little boy interrupted joyfully, shaking Amber's hand.

"Nice to meet you. When do you want to go?"

*

Okay, everyone on the site knows the rules - reviews make prompt chapters. since this chapter took only four days, lets get lotsa reviews! The more opinions I get, the better I can make it. In fact - I should be asking questions.

1) How do I improve my writing (more/less description, dialouge, explanation; faster or slower pace, grammatical/spelling errors, etc etc)?

2) What do you want to happen (new +anima, events, sites, etc)?

3) Any other relevant feedback.

If you can or want to answer any of these questions, then please review or PM me, and I shall struggle to improve my writing accordingly! And then I can grow as a writer. ^_^ ~Ratpigeon


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter eleven: ONwards

Amber hoisted her pack - significantly larger than those of Fernando and Tasha - with enviable ease, Ared holding her hand cheerfully. The entire village had turned out to see them leave, although whether or not that was because they wanted a chance to say goodbye or becasue they wanted to see the backs of the three children, and their newly acquired guide, was uncertain.

The four children climbed up to the higher passes of the mountain. Since it was still summertime, the ravines running between the tallest peaks were passable, even though above their heads, the crags were white with snow.

"We'll have to move through here quickly, since it'll be difficult to hunt up here, but we should have more than enoguh food to get down to the hills." AMber told the children as they climbed up towards one of the tallest peaks. 'Hills' however, turned out to be misleading, since, already high enough that there was snow on the ground nine months of the year, the three children found out that they were still in the 'hills'. The 'Mountains' were to normal mountains like normal mountains were to the scraggly pines on their slopes. but, with a claustrophobic six-year-old in the group, going through the tunnels under the mountain was unthinkable.

"I like it up here!" Ared said brightly, taking in deep breath as they trudged up the mountains, occasionally having to slog through a deep trenchh of summer snow. Even bundled up in the mortal remains of dozens of rabbits and similar creatures - like the rest of the group - his lips were still blue - like the rest of the group except Amber, who seemed above such petty things as cold. Tasha wasn't sure she liked their guide, and whenever Jekyl got a sniff of her, she felt her hackles... the hairs on the back of her neck... stand up. It was disconcerting enough that she'd refrained from assuming the form of her anima, even though the fur on her arms and shoulders would have made her warmer...

"Make sure you drink lots, and as soon as anyone starts to feel sick, tell me, because we'll probably have to go back down..." She had said as they reached the year-round snowline - the start of the real mountains. It was annoying how she kept assuming that everyone would listen to her and defer to her, just because she was a little bit older.

The air was like fine daggers of ice as they kept trudging up the mountains. it was getting... lighter all the time, and Tasha almost felt as it was trying to pull her out as they neared the ridge. Ared had tried flying in it a few times, but couldn't find enough 'hot-ups' to get him into the thin air. That had dampened his spirits slightly.

They had reached what Amber declared was the summit of the pass - fortunate, since Tasha was beginning to feel slightly faint from a lack of oxygen - when they stopped. The wind had been picking up a bit for the last hour or two, but as they reached the top of their ascent it screamed over them, bringing knives of snow with it.

"Everyone stick together!" Amber screamed, useless as the sudden blizzard obliterated all vision. "Get down the hill - into the wind!" Tasha's eyes narrowed to slits, as she began to walk into the gale, feeling her muscles scream in protest as she leant nearly forty-five degrees forward, trying to drve through the storm. She didn't know where Fernando or Ared, or even Amber was, instead just concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, slogging down the hill, following the ravine that made up their pass as best she could.

She wasn't sure how long she had battled the elements before she came to the small, sheltered cave. The ravine narrowed, one side angling in sharply before returning to its paralel route, and set into the leeward wall from the blizzard was a small hollow in the rock - lthe opening was less than a metre high or wide, but extended about four metres into the rock, opening out into a space about the size of a large, low-ceilinged room. Exhausted, damp and cold, she crawled into the small hollow, shivering as she listened to the wind screaming past outside. Almost as soon as she fell asleep - so pretty much instantly after - she heard Amber's footsteps from inside the cave, as she emerged from behind a large boulder near the back with an armful of firewood.

"The storm should blow out in a few hours. Did you see either of the boys?" She asked brusquley, squatting down to build a fire out of the wind. "And don't go to sleep."

Tasha nodded, but her gut had tightened in fear as she realised that neither Fernando nor Ared had come in. Still shivering, she went to the entry of the cave, her sharp ears and nose straining for any sense of either of them over the howling snow.

"FERNANDO!!" She screamed into the whiteness, the sound echoing like a howl in the wind. "ARED!!" SHe waited at the entry for several more minutes, screaming into the wind, which was beginning to lessen slightly.

"The storms moving on - it'll be going down towards the village." AMber explained between Tasha's howls.

The younger girl ignored her, screaming once more into the snow before a dark figure appeared from it, staggering with exhaustion.

"Tasha? Are you okay? Safe? Thank god..." Fernando made his way into the small cave, collapsing into a hug against Tasha. "I nearly got turned around by the wind..." He murmured as Tasha helped him to the fire.

"I'm glad you made it." Amber said, running her eyes over the fourteen-year-old, whose olive skin was pasty from exhaustion. "You two should get some sleep, once you've warmed up and eaten something. I'm going out to look for Ared." With that she bundled her long, dark red hair under a furlined hood and made her way out into the blizzard, which had now died down to just a gale.

"Think she'll find him?" Tasha asked, leaning against Fernando for warmth.

"She has to - no-one else can." Fernando said, bulling out some frozen jerky and wamring it over the fire, spearing it on a stick so that he wouldn't burn her hands.

"I should help - I might be able to use my anima to track him..."

"You're exhausted. Neither of us have any hope of finding him. We need to do what Amber said, or else we might freeze to death." Fernando said, as brusque as Amber had been minutes ago, as he handed Tasha several warm strips of beef jerky. "I'm sorry, but there's nothign we can do right now." The two ate their food in silence. Tasha knew that he was right, and every survival instinct in Jekyl was howling to her that he was probably dead, and if she went out, she would be too, so, after finishing their meal, the two curled up together, Fenrando bankking the fire slightly, and fell asleep, huddled close for warmth.

*

Amber came back, a few hours later, dark circles and faint lines seemed to have formed since they'd last seen her. She woke the two sleeping shildren up as she thudded her boots on the floor to clear them of snow, nearly jolting Tasha into the fire as she startled awsake. Fernando had his arms around her though, holding her still, until they both were awake enough to realise the awkward position and disentangle themselves, not even needing to hear Ambers news in the now deadly quiet cave - the strom vanished from outside.

"I couldn't find him." She said, holding up a small, ripped glove.

*

Ah crap, I hated this chapter... It was so hard to start - once I got to the flow it was okay though... anyway If I'm taking too long though, just someone send in a review, and the pace'll pick right up again, hopefully. They really do make FF go round. And, for ANimeWritr, 'suspense baby, oh ya.' Hope you liked.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter twelve

Ared was buffeted on the harsh winds of the gale, his wings nearly ripping out of his back as he tumbled through the air, even knowing which way was up, barely able to breathe as the wind stole the air.

_Fold the wings, hide them - or you will die. We're only a few few feet up._

The red adn blue wings vanished, a few feathers tearing away on a gust, and Ared tumbled into a deep drift of soft snow. He'd lost one of his gloves - it had ripped off onto a branch when his wings first snapped out to protect him from the buffetting power of the gusts - they'd ended up tearing him away wiht the wind instead though...

SHivering, he crawled through the blinding snow to where there was a large outcrop of rock, the snow having built up into a natural cave, with an opening barely big enough for the six-year-old to squeeze through. Amber had told them about the ooglies, which were warm snow-cave things, that the Kim-un-kur used for shelter if worst came to worst.

_My wings will warm you. _Ared nodded, smiling, as the bright red wings curled around him, and he slipped into a dream where a woman with long red hair sang him lullabies.

*

When he awoke, hte sun was bright and dazzling on hte new snow, and the makeshift snow-cave was surprisingly warm. Yawning, Ared crawled out and shaded his eyes against the sun ot see where he was.

He stood at teh top of a cliff, the pass spread below him. The mountiains rose even higher behind his back, and there was no sign of any of the others. But they couldn't have left him... could they?

A howl pierced the air, and he shuddered, taking off in an deeply ingrained instinct of any creature hearing a wolf's hunting cry. He felt like he could see its sleek grey fur and amber eyes, searching for _him.._. He beat his wings powerfully, rising higher, shivering, circling slightly to try and get a better view.

_Down little one, follow me. _Ared felt the feathers of his wings twitch as he dchanged his course, flying over the mountains in a gradual dive, feeling the gradual sense that he should be somewhere else.

*

"I can't sense him." Tasha siad quietly, standing away from Amber, and letting Fernando twine his gloved fingers through her own, which still had Jekyl's claws and fur. "I htought I smelt him for a moment, but...."

"He should have stayed with Rose - he's too young to be travelling like this." Fernando said, guilt heavy in his voice as he leaned his cheek against Tasha's hair, letting her tears quietly soak his shoulder, pretending not to notice.

"He couldn't. The Kim-un-kur wouldn't accept him. He's a _+anima._" Amber said sighing, and scanning the mountains once again.

"That makes no sense!" Fernando snapped. He instantly regretted it, as Tasha flinched against his shoulder, but Amber jsut looked at him levelly.

"The Kim-un-kur lost their..._selves _when the +anima vanished. Many of those that had it have died, from grief, or simply not knowing how to survive without it's help. My father is the only one that still has any real importance in the tribe, or any tribe." Amber said, her eyes panning across the mountains, searchiing for any sign of red wings. "And you could see how they think of him - especially since his anima was a blood-crazed murderer to them. It would have been even worse for Ared - he's stolen my people's birthright, or at least that's how most of them see it." She broke off, flushign slightly and looking away.

"Well now he's dead instead." Tahsa murmured, her voice tearfilled.

"We don't know that - all we know is he's lost." Fernando said, soothingly, but without much hope.

"We have to keep going - before another storm arrives and these passes get snowed in for the year. If Ared has survived, than one of the Kim-un-kur tribes will find him. If not..." Amber shrugged, not looking at either of her two remaining charges as she scanned the horizon for stormclouds.

"didn't you just say that the Kim-un-kur would hate him for 'stealing their birthright'." Tasha snapped, scrubbing at her face as she stepped away from Fernando, her lupine ears laid flat against her head as she snarled at Amber. "What help would _they _be if they found him?"

"I said _most _kim-un-kur feel that way. Some are just happy that the +anima have returned. And anyway, we are not like you barbarian Astarians - we wouldn't leave a child to die, just because he was a +anima." AMber snapped back, her eyes narrowed to slits. "Now, either we stop bickering and go, or I'll leave you here and go back to my village."

"Fi-"

"Tash." Fernando gripped Tasha's shoulder, giving amber along hard look. "We can't stay up here. We either go on to Sailand, or back to Astar... Actually maybe we should do that - if Ared got lost, wouldn't he go home?"

"No." Tash shook her head. "There's some... I want to go to Sailand. So would Ared's Birdy."

"Also, Sailand is where Papa's old travelling companions live. Husky and Nana. And their son, Cooro, who apparently had a +anima a bit like yours - he could detect others. He might know about other +anima showing up there."

"... Well, Aunt Nina always told me to trust a woman's intuition. So I guess we keep going." Fernando said shrugging, as, dejectedly, the party began to make their way down the mountains.

*

Tada!!! FINALLY. I have been very bad with my updates for the last several weeks. I think it's a start of holidays/end of term thing. Tests combined with free time don't promote creativity or a good work ethic. Anyway, here it is. And hopefully the next one won't take as long...


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Twelve

"Look, It's Sailand..." Amber said, gesturing to the spread of towns sprawling at their feet, before giving way to the glittering blue sea and the city perched on the edge of the coast.

"What's that city?" Tasha asked, focussing on it and the ocean beyond.

"Stella, the capital," Fernando replied. "You should probably try to hide those markings – Sailand used to enslave +anima..."

Tasha self-consciously put a hand up to where the thick black lines curved across her cheeks, which caused her sleeve to fall away from her hand, showing more of the graceful marks.

"If you put your inner gloves back on, then we just need to find something for your cheeks. I could go see if I can find some make-up in a town or something..." Amber suggested. She had become a lot quieter, less sure of herself, and generally more bearable since Ared had been lost...

"Okay."

Amber nodded, leaving the two younger children among the foothills as she set out towards the nearest village at a loping run.

_My mother could run like that..._ Jekyl said with a sad little whine. Warmth and comfort seeped into Tasha's mind from the contact, making her smile slightly as she and Fernando waited in the sunshine.

*Break*

Tasha's ears pricked and a snarl escaped her mouth as she sniffed the air, her eyes narrowing.

"What is it?" Fernando asked, his hand slipping into the side of his pack for the carved obsidian knife in there. They were sitting in a small, shallow dip in the side of one of the hills, a few trees leaning over it for shelter.

"Amber's back, but..."

Suddenly there was a whoop from just beyond the edge of the dip as something launched itself into the clearing onto Tasha in a ball of fur, hair and clothes.

The dark haired girl snarled, tussling with her assailant, digging her claws into the material of their shirt as twisted. Jekyl snarled in her mind as well, and her limbs began to move of their own accord, or maybe the wolf-pup's, as she twisted, and sank her teeth into the thick tunic as well. She gripped her attacker by the scruff of the neck and flipped them under her, pinning them to the ground with one of her paws across their throat.

"Brilliant!" A brown-haired boy, about a year younger than Amber grinned up at her, his hazel eyes sparkling with excitement. Tasha snarled again, baring her long canine teeth.

"What the hell, Tollen?" A deeper voice snapped from the edge of the clearing. "Don't go around attacking people you stupid mongrel."

"Not a mongrel – Jana's a pure-bred Collie." The boy snapped back over Tasha's shoulder, entirely unconcerned at the angry wolf-+anima with her claws at his throat. "Anyway, she's –"

"Your boss now." Tasha said, resisting Jekyl's urge to lick Tollen's face.

"Oh... true. Okay." Tollen slipped one of his hands out from under Tasha's body and held it out. "Uh... we may be a pair of dogs, but I believe humans shake hands." He said, his smile becoming slightly shy.

"I'm a _wolf._"

"Right, sorry..."

Tasha growled, but stood up, helping the boy to his feet.

"I'm Tollen, and my +anima is called Jana."

"...I'm Tasha, and uh... I guess my +anima is Jekyl."

"Nice to meet you, boss." Tollen grinned, brushing off his thick, bright clothes. On his lower half he wore loose, wide shorts, from which protruded a bushy brown tail the same colour as his hair, and a pair of brown doglegs, which vanished after a moment, the edges of his +anima marking peeking out from the ragged hem of his shorts.

"I managed to find a wandering band of +anima in town." Amber said, rolling her eyes. "They were heading to the mountains, and when they saw me, making clandestine enquiries about +anima, no less..."

"We decided to come see her companions. You can come down Rain, I doubt a wolf-cub and a human boy are any threat." A tall, black-haired boy with green eyes was standing beside Amber. He had a curling black line extending from the centre of his lower lip to the base of his chin, where it forked just before the end.

"I'm Alistair Shenuchi." He stepped forwards, inclining his head.

"And I'm Rain." A girl dropped down from a tree behind them, her hands and feet were bare, and the pads were oddly bulbous.

Tasha whirled, snarling as the girl stood up. She was wearing dull brown clothes with a leather vest hanging around her slender shoulders. Gloves and boots were hanging from her belt.

"Alistair is a snake, so when he hisses venomously, it really is venomous, and Rain is a gecko." Tollen said promptly, gesturing to the two. Rain had skipped over to Alistair, and was leaning against his shoulder, her arms draped around the tall boy.

"Of course I don't fall on people every time I drop down – I only fall on _you_, because I like landing on you." She said, giggling and kissing him on the cheek.

"Perfect." Alistair muttered sarcastically.

"They're... you know..." Tollen said quietly, blushing slightly.

"I was robbing his crazy-rich family, he woke up, and my anima manifested. When I freaked out and fell of the roof, he explained what was going on. We ran away, yada yada yada, the rest is history." Rain grinned, rubbing her cheek against Alistair's shoulder. "Mm, warm..."

"Rain is cold-blooded when she manifests her anima, and also gains a gecko's lack of scent. Combined with the fact that she's trained in hiding, makes her very hard to find, by human or +anima."

"... That's the second time you've said human and +anima as if it is separate." Tasha said, stepping closer to Fernando and growling slightly.

"It is. You know it is." Alsitair said coldly.

"Alis' means different, not better though. We argued this one out." Tollen said, nudging Tasha's shoulder.

"don't call me that." Alistair said reflexively.

"But- " Tasha looked around, gripping Fernando's hand as she remembered Nina's cold voice echoing around the dark caravan. "I want to be human."

"So, I guess we're staying here?" A boy with shaggy sand-coloured hair asked, slouching up.

"A kim-un-kur and a +anima? Who's already got Tollen behaving and calling her boss? Seems so."

"Right then, I'm Binder."

"_Cat._" Tollen growled, grinning toothily.

"_Lion._" Binder said, brushing back his hair to reveal a curving line tracing around his hairline.

"Nice to meet you." Tasha said nervously.

"Hey, I know I may just be a human to you, but I was wondering if you'd seen a small boy, about six, with red and blue wings, red hair and green eyes." Fernando asked stepping forwards. "We lost him in the pass, and are hoping he showed up here."

"Can't sense him – If he's down here, he must be a while away." Alistair said coolly, "But if he's a +anima, we will help you find him."

*break*

Look look look! It's not only a new chapter, but a long new chapter with four new characters! I wrote half of it up in half a day, and have lots of idea-ness.

*break*

You may notice that I started using *break*s instead of *s. This is because started deleting my *s.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 13

Ared landed, his green eyes heavy with sleep as he looked around at the dusk landscape. There was a village nearby, but after being shot at in Astaria, and noting Tasha and Fernando and Amber's concern about people finding out about Birdy, he'd decided not to land in the square.

"We need something to eat, Birdy. I'm hungry." He murmured, yawning and tugging the slits in his big warm jacket closed so that it hid the large spirals decorating his shoulder blades and the base of his neck. It was too hot in his jacket, but he didn't want to lose it, since it was cold high up in the sky. Yawning and staggering slightly, he rummaged through the small satchel he'd been given to carry, since Amber had taken most of his supplies for him. There was some dried fruits and a bit of bread – mostly snacks for while they were walking – which the boy devoured ravenously, before looking for anything else useful he had.

"Maybe I could sell one of my jackets for food... I could do the Fernando voice." He mused to his anima, who was lying quietly exhausted in his mind. She'd given him a lot of her energy to maintain their flight down from the mountains, staying high in the clouds until it was dark enough to come safely down without being seen.

_Fernando voice?_ Birdy's voice came quietly from inside his head.

"Mm, the convincey one." Ared grinned, walking up to the nearest building, a small farmhouse on a hill.

*break*

"So, how did the two of you find Tollen and Binder?" Tasha asked, turning to Rain as they sat around the campfire, night darkening around them.

"Alistair sensed them – the two of them were together already, but we found them maybe a week ago." Rain said. She was wearing a pair of thin leather gloves to cover the rings on the pads of her fingers that marked her anima.

"Most of the +anima seem to have occurred within the last month, but we're finding each other fast. And we're hiding much better this time." Alistair hissed, a forked tongue flicking out as he spoke. His canines were long and pointed, but had folded back along the roof of his mouth. For an anima, it was very discreet, more so than his markings... until he spoke.

"In groups of two... did you notice that?" Fernando asked brushing his hand across Tasha's as he glared at Alistair. He didn't seem to need reason to do that.

"It doesn't seem relevant, we're in a group of five now." Alistair said calmly.

"And two 'humans' – and you were two groups of two that merged and then joined a group of what used to be two." Fernando said shrugging. "It just seems interesting."

"Whatever. Where were you going when you lost him?" Tollen asked, nearly skipping beside Tasha.

"We're on our way to Stella – or that direction... Can't you feel it? It's like a +anima... sort of..." Tasha said, pushing Tollen away good-naturedly with her free hand.

"Yes, now that you mention it..."

"My Father's friends live near there – they were +anima, and Cooro managed to get up to some really weird stuff over his lives."

"Lives?" Binder asked, his eyes widening.

"Yes." Amber said shortly, shrugging.

"I want to meet this person." Rain said, grinning.

*break*

"Um, hello Mrs Lady, I was wondering if you'd like to buy this uh... lovely kim-un-kur coat?" He asked, holding out his coat with a nervous grin. He wasn't doing the Fernando voice very well.

"How old are you?" The middle-aged woman asked, her brown eyes wide.

"Um... six." Ared said, letting his hands fall to his waist, the coat sagging. The woman's eyes widened further.

"Come inside! I'll get you something to eat right away. What is a six-year-old doing out alone at this time of night?"

"Um, well, I wasn't alone, but I lost my friends in the mountains..." Ared said, feeling his lower lip tremble.

"You came over the mountains? Oh my goodness! Inside, now." The woman grabbed Ared's shoulders, propelling him inside to her small house with the enticing scent of cooking floating through it.

*break*

"There. Feel that?" Binder stopped, pointing upwards. They'd camped in the foothills the previous night, and were now making their way towards Stella, which was no longer visible once they'd left the mountains. Everyone else craned their necks to see a large, bird-like figure swooping down through the clouds towards them. Alistair squinted, his snake tongue flicking out to taste the air.

"What do they look like?" He asked as the +anima came closer.

"Huge wingspan... eagle maybe, she has tail-feathers too. Brown hair, about our age." Amber said shading her eyes.

"Good, a bird will be very useful, particularly if Ared enjoys flying as much as you say." Alistair said, still squinting as the +anima landed a few dozen feet away.

"I'm Sora. You're all +anima, right?" The girl asked, her almond eyes flicking from one to the other.

"Except for Amber and myself." Fernando said, a slight frown crossing his features.

"I'm on my way to the Kim-un-kurs..." She said, her eyes focussing on Amber and her beaded hair. "Are the passes still open?"

"Snowed in a few days ago." Amber said.

"Damn." Sora looked back, her eyes narrowing as she squinted at the horizon. "Ellen's coming."

"Ellen?" Rain asked, raising her eyebrow.

"She's travelling with me. I met her in Stella a few days ago."

A thin girl, bruised and limping came over a low hill. Her eyes widened as she saw the group on the road, and took a step back, her eyes darting around nervously.

"Don't worry, they won't hurt you." Sora said, wrapping an arm and a wing around Ellen's shoulders. "Ellen doesn't speak much common – she got here on a slave ship. Her +anima manifested and let her chew through the ropes and escape."

"Chew?"

"Rat anima." Sora said, gesturing towards the whisker marks across Sora's cheeks. "But anyway, if the mountains are snowed in, then where should we go?"

"Come with us." Rain suggested, grinning. "We're looking for a parrot +anima, and a guy called Cooro near Stella.

"Cooro...? Prince Myrrah's son?"

*break*

For the story about that (Cooro's 'lives'), read the three previous stories I wrote in +anima – messenger of death, angel and anima, in that order. They get shorter and better the further you go back (in my opinion). And I have now got lots of ideas that will see me through - hopefully - to the completion of what promises to be a fairly extensive tale - think travel to the dreamscape home of the anima, insane, man-made +anima, romance, reunions, and FLUFFY COORO BABIES!

ANd, hopefully, more prompt updates...


	16. Chapter 16

BIG NEWS! I got an AWARD, for WRITITNG! I entered a short story competition, and came second in the junior division - for fifteen to nineteen year olds. I got a certificate saying 'highly commended' and met a mayor, and nearly won four hundred dollars. Pretty awesome, right?

Anyway, for all those who enjoy writing short stories, and live in Australia, check out the Alan Marshall Short story competition next year.

That is all ~ Ratpigeon, Highly Commended Author ;p

Chapter Fourteen:

"You know a prince?" Fernando asked intently, after the moment of stunned silence had subsided.

"...Prince Myrrha gave up his claim on the throne to marry a seamstress." Alistair said, shrugging.

"He gave up his claim because he was a +anima, and one of the other queens tried to kill him." Amber corrected, frowning.

"That rumour was true?" Alistair asked.

"How do you know so much about it?"

"I am merely a second son of one of the most powerful noble families in Sailand. Nothing significant," Alistair said wryly, raising an eyebrow. "I did introduce myself."

"Alis', most people think that you're an arrogant stick, not nobility."

"Don't call me that."

"So you're a noble? Really?" Fernando whistled, temporarily losing his distaste of the older boy. "A prince and a noble – I should write this into a ballad someday."

"What would the romance be?" Binder asked, chuckling. Fernando merely frowned at the blonde boy.

"Wait – what's that?" Rain said, pointing off to the side. A moment later Sora flew down, landing beside Ellen.

"There's a lady up ahead... and she's starkers and has a dead kid." Sora said, in the almost joking voice of someone completely out of their death.

"What the...?" Tollen asked, as the +anima ran towards a shady copse of trees that had a small stream running through it, Fernando following close behind, but unable to feel the sudden, powerful tug of a +anima in the trees.

The trees gave way to a small clearing, the stream widening into a deep pond in the centre. A beautiful young woman sat at the edge of the pool, a low keening emitting from her throat.

She was covered in a long, silken fall of silver-blonde hair, but every expanse of visible skin was covered in delicate black traceries, evocative of scales and fins.

"What happened?" Fernando asked, gently coming up to the woman and resting a hand on her shoulder.

"I couldn't... I couldn't save her..." The woman whimpered, thick tears trickling from her wide grey eyes.

"Save wh-" Fernando trailed off, his eyes widening as he saw the wet, still body in her arms.

"I was just upstream when she... I wasn't in time." The woman clenched her hands in the thick bright cloth of the girl's sodden jumper. Her fingers didn't wrinkle the fabric.

"Wait... she's an _anima_?" Alistair demanded, his green eyes wide.

_Poor fish._ Jekyl thought in Tasha's mind, his ears and tail drooping.

"I am... Lirale," the anima murmured, brushing her hands along the girls face, trying to push back her hair. "She used to play here, pretend a mermaid called that lived in the pond."

"How can we help you?" Binder asked, stepping forwards as well.

_You can't, she's losing herself already. The girl has her markings. They're fading, but there._ Jekyl pointed out the complex markings showing under the wide neck of the girls sweater, decorating her shoulders with fins and gills.

"You mean an anima loses some of itself every time it enters a human?"

_Yes. We leave a part of our souls in our hosts. That's why the +anima before were... less._

"But-" Tasha broke off, looking around at the rest of the group, becoming uncomfortably aware that everyone, even the anima was staring at her. "Uh... sorry, I was just talking to Jekyl?" Amber and Fernando stared for a moment longer, but everyone else seemed to accept the explanation.

_You don't have to talk aloud to me._

Couldn't have told me that sooner?

_Didn't think you cared._

"Your anima is right." Lirale said quietly.

"So what are you going to do, Lirale?" Fernando asked gently.

"I wait. Until another child needs me." Lirale said, kissing the child's forehead gently. "Will you bury her for me?" She asked Fernando, standing up and looking out into the pond.

"Of course..." Fernando said quietly, resting a hand on Lirale's shoulder as the young woman walked out into the pond, vanishing into the ripples on the water.

Ared was out walking in a small forest past Mrs Relan's orchard when he felt a tug from his left, accompanied by a shout and a snarl.

The boy didn't think, his wings fanning out behind him as he ran forwards, hearing more snarling barks from nearby.

There was a small litter of fox cubs curled around each other, yowling as two adult foxes, hackles raised, snarled at an adult, with traps and furs hung around his thick coat. A young boy was standing with the foxes, yelling at the man.

"You can't hunt these foxes! They have cubs!" He shouted, his tangled auburn hair hanging about a pale, but intensely furious face.

"These buggers killed my chickens. They're a menace," growled the man, cocking a crossbow he was holding under an arm.

The older fox snarled, flinging itself at the hunter, an instant before the boy. The second fox snarled again, wrapping herself around the small hollow where her cubs were. The crossbow twanged, and the boy stumbled back, the older fox in his arms, staining his white shirt with blood.

"Hey!" Ared shouted, flying into the clearing just as the crossbow went off.

The hunter looked up and swore as he saw the winged boy. He was about to raise the crossbow again – which sent a flutter of fear and a twinge of remembered pain through Ared's wing – but the red-haired boy snarled, a guttural, animal sound and launched himself at the hunter as soon as the man was distracted.

The hunter stumbled back as long teeth ripped through his coat, tearing off the traps and furs. The boy's fingers tangled in the cloth as he snarled again, his face completely transformed into a vulpine muzzle, pointed ears blending with his hair. The hunter yelled out in pain, ripping away from the boy, blood seeping though his ripped shirt as he turned heel and ran.

The boy watched him go, tense and snarling, until the hunter was out of sight. Then he turned to Ared, the white fur around his muzzle stained redder than his hair. Behind them the she-fox whimpered, moving over to her dead mate and nudging him with her paw.

Pale skin emerged from the fur as the boys original features emerged, still red-stained, but now decorated with an elegant calligraphic line curving around his cheek and over his ear in a sharp point, as well as sweeping under his jaw, ending in a curved triangle. He fell to his knees, turning away from Ared and the wolf, before hunching over and being violently sick.

"Um, are you okay?" Ared asked when the boy stood up again, his pale skin now sallow and sweaty.

"I just _bit_ him... I can still taste the blood..." the boy looked green, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Well, it wasn't really you – it was Mr. Fox." Ared gestured to the dead fox, with his mate curled around him and whimpering, their cubs crowded around as well.

"What on earth are you talking about? And why do you have wings?"

"I'm a +anima, my name is Ared. I fell out of a tree, and Birdy gave me wings so I wouldn't get hurt. See? It's like Mr. Fox gave you his teeth so you could scare away the hunter. See?" Ared fanned his wings out to demonstrate.

"I thought that the +anima were gone..."

"No, I'm here. And my friend, Tasha, she's a +anima too. She's a wolf, and has fluffy ears like yours."

"Unbelievable," muttered the boy, reaching out to touch one of Ared's red and blue wings. "...I'm Dannyl... birdboy."

Also, I'm trying to draw some of these guys - or all of them really. I just need to do Tollen and Binder and Dannyl I think, and then I might try and post em on deviantart or somehting, since I know I've been remiss in my descriptions...

Last note, REVIEW DAMAMIT!


	17. Chapter 17

Back in business. Now, question; how liberal minded are we all here? I'm thinking about making one of the +anima gay, but shan't do it if the overwhelming opinion is negative. I put up a poll.

Also, new breaks system since FF has started deleting them all.

*break*

Chapter fifteen:

It was three days after Sora and Ellen had first joined the rest of the group of travelling +anima. They'd been ranging across the countryside, Sora using her Eagle anima – a proud eagle who went by the name of Shulin – to scan the countryside while the rest spread out, trying to catch the distinctive tugging sensation of a nearby anima.

"Hey!"

Fernando looked up, hearing Rain's voice coming from a small distance off. Beside him, Tasha sniffed the air, baring her fangs in a slightly disconcerting manner.

"I smell blood." She said, before turning and running in the direction of the gecko +anima's voice. Fernando followed her, emerging in a small clearing a moment later, to see Rain, already joined by Alistair and Tollen standing over a small grave. A tuft of red fur sat on it, held down by a rock, and nearby, a vixen sat, watching the children and snarling, but not making any move to attack or run.

"What do you reckon is the deal with her?" Rain asked, pointing.

"Ared!"

"What?"

"Ared's been here – can't you smell him, Ellen? Binder?" Tasha turned to the quiet girl, who's pretty face had elongated and sprouted whiskers and large square teeth, and Binder, whose eyes were green and slitted, as tufted ears poked up from his sandy hair, which had thickened into a mane. His nose was wider and flatter as well, but both he and Ellen shook their heads.

"We don't know what he smells like – all I can tell is that two humans have been here, recently," Binder explained, pointing off at an angle to the groups general route. "They went that way."

"Let's go!" Tollen grinned, his legs changing as he ran off in the direction indicated, leaving his shoes lying neatly behind him.

"Follow that dog!" Rain laughed, chasing off in the same direction. The others followed as well, except for Fernando, who stayed behind for a moment, watching the vixen.

"That was your mate?" The fox let out a faint whimper, walking over to the stone and nuzzling the fur.

"... I'm sorry..." Fernando stroked one of the vixen's ears briefly before running off after the rest of the group.

*break*

Ared and Dannyl were eating lunch when they heard a whooping shout from the forest and saw someone sprinting towards them, waving his arms.

"Hello from Tash and Amber and Fernando!" He skidded to a halt in front of the two boys, panting, his tail wagging manically out the top of his pants. "Are you Ared?"

"You know my friends?" Ared asked, his mouth full of sandwich and his eyes wide.

"Yep. Tollen and Jana at your service. The others are coming."

Dannyl stood up, looking the dog +anima up and down suspiciously as he positioned himself in front of Ared.

"Who are you?" Tollen asked excitedly, his tongue very nearly hanging out of his mouth.

"My name is Dannyl..."

"There was a hunter and foxes and I helped him and now he says he's gonna keep an eye on me till my friends show up. But really we just play together lots, because there's a nice lady letting my stay with her." Ared explained, leaning around Dannyl. "And are they really coming?"

"Yep. Nice to meet you, Danny." Tollen held out one of his hands, using the other to point over his shoulder to where several other figures were emerging from the forest.

"Dannyl. And you should shake with your other hand." Tollen let out a faint whine at the red-haired boy's disapproving tone.

"You're not another one of those nobles, are you?"

"No, but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to have manners."

"Alis' is gonna love you." Tollen sighed and flopped down on the grass, his tail vanishing and his legs changing back to human ones. "Hey, you're a +anima – what are you?"

"...fox."

"Cool! We can be the canine parade! We've got Tasha, me, and you! We now have a clear advantage over the reptiles."

"What?" Dannyl stared at Tollen, stumped, until three more people showed up, flinging themselves onto Ared, another four standing close behind.

"We were worried!"

"You're okay?"

"Didn't you hear us calling?" All three of them spoke at once, the little boy invisible under them.

"...Was the wolf you?" Ared asked, his voice slightly muffled. "It scared me so I ran away... I'm sorry..."

"It's okay..." The younger girl, with short dark hair and eyes pulled away slightly, her smile slipping.

"Anyway, that's not important." Fernando said, clasping her hand and stepping back as well, letting Amber pull away too, the beads in her hair clinking. "At least we found you."

"I met a nice lady. We have to go say goodbye and thankyou before we leave, okay?" Ared said, grabbing Dannyl's hand and presenting him to the group.

"This is my new friend. And he can make a special powder thingy to hide +anima marks so that no-one can tell like magic."

"Really?" Ellen asked, stepping forwards, her hand covering the markings over her nose, her eyes wide. She'd washed off the layer of grime and dust that had covered her face when they'd first met her, revealing exotic features with large slanted eyes.

"It's just chalk dust and stuff..." Dannyl said, backing away, his ears reddening slightly.

"That's great – after all, wasn't a resurrection of old traditions one of our biggest worries?" Fernando looked around the group as Sora landed beside Ellen, regarding Ared and Dannyl with keen eyes. "Now we can cover up the marks on Tash and Ellen's faces, and no-one will know."

"You'll have to do my back too." Sora says, brushing her hair off her neck so that Fernando could see the two large spirals and surrounding lines that covered almost her entire back, exposed by her backless top. "I can't get my wings out if it's covered."

"Auntie rose cut slits in my shirts, see?" Ared pointed to his own back, but Sora shrugged, patting the boy's head.

"Tried that, but they're too big. And it just makes me feel..."

"Scared?" Ared prompted, shivering as he recalled the dark passage his grandma had tried to take him down the day he got his anima – and was shot, and met Tasha and Fernando.

"You too?"

"Anyway, be that as it may, we should really get moving." Alistair said, walking up to the group with Rain by his side.

"Okay! Are you coming Dannyl?"

The red-haired boy stepped back from the group, casting his eyes around the circle and biting his lip.

*break*

Was it this story that asked for cliffies? Honestly, I don't know how many more characters I can juggle. Thank god Ellen doesn't say much.


	18. Chapter 18

Okay - sorry I vanished, I've been sick with fever and coughing and headaches... and some pretty psychadelic hallucinations... :/

This has kead me to realise that some of this story is really quite crap. I shall have to fix it when it's finished...

Chapter seventeen - (I just realised I counted twelve twice)

"Come on Dannyl!" Ared tugged at the older boy's sleeve, grinning. "It'll be fun - we'll have _adventures _and we meet lots of nice people, like auntie Rose. She fixed my wing for me after it got hurt. And Fernando knows lots of fun stories, and you and Tasha can tak about dog-things, and Amber is really good at finding food and knowing stuff and stuff... and I don't know these other people..."

"And there is safety in numbers." Alistair added, looking Dannyl up and down appraisingly, weighing the assets he would bring to the group.

"...No. I can't just leave my family. And there's the vixen in the forest."

"Your +anima was her mate?" Fenrando asked, as Dannyl brushed his hands along the black mark that just showed up under the smudged chalk dust.

"Yes..." He paused for a minute, a jumble of emotions flicking across his face. "But I'll give you some of the chalk dust, and help with any food you need... and come by if you come back this way."

"But..." Ared looked at Dannyl, his face slumped with disappoinmtent.

"You'll have lots of fun with these people, they're your friends, and... Sora... will go flying with you, right?" Dannyl hugged Ared, smiling at the sad little face. "I have to stay and take care of Elitia and her cubs."

"Okay..."

"Shame..." Tollen murmured, before a grin washed across his face and he picked Ared up. "Come on, midget, let's go have adventures then." The boy laughed, waving at Dannyl from under Tollen's arm as he walked towards the faint line of smoke coming from the house of the woman who had watched Ared.

"We should go to... good luck." Rain smiled and patted Dannyl's shoulder, before pulling Alistair and Binder away, leaving Amber, Fernando and Tasha by Dannyl. Sora was watching Ellen intently, trying to piece together the meaning of her broken common and elusive gestures.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on him..." Tasha smiled, glancing at the retreating Ared as she spoke. Even though she had barely met Dannyl, there was a sense of loss at the parting - a failing of some sort of potential, that weighed down her tongue with appeals for the red-haired boy to come with them. Amber nodded her agreement.

"Dannyl?" Sora stepped forwards, Ellen standing behind her, watching Dannyl with dark, liquid eyes that still held the roots of fear that hadn't left her, but also a sparkle of hope. "Ellen wands to stay here... she had never travelled before she came here, and if they do start trying to enslave the +anima again, I can't let her end up on another slaveship. Is there some way...?" The words faltered, the pride that bound Sora to Shulin stopping her from making the request outright, but the plea was in her eyes.

"She can live with my family - They'll be delighted if I were to bring home a pretty girl." Dannyl replied, shrugging. Sora nodded briskly before turning to Ellen and giving her a tight, but brief hug.

It's safe here," She said quietly, cupping her hands just under her heart to try and convey the meaning to Ellen. "I want to know what they're looking for in Stella, but I'll come back, okay?"

Ellen nodded, mimicking Sora's gesture as the girl spread Shulin's variegated brown wings, the feathers spreading down her back to fan out into a wide wedge of tail, and took off, flying after the other +anima.

"We should go too." Amber said, glancing through the copse of trees. "Goodbye."

"Take care and..." Fernando paused, for once, unable to find the words he needed to express an idea that seemed bigger than words - the bereaved vixen, Elitia, Lirale, the fish anima and her dead child, the fear in Ellen's eyes and the way Tasha tried to cover the markings on her face... "Watch out for Elitia."

Dannyl nodded, and watched as the three left, his hand tracing the line that rose in a sharp point around his ear, curved down his jaw, ending in a curvving triangle beneath his chin. Ellen stood a few feet away, watchign the sky after Sora.

_Watch the forest._

*break*

The remainder of the journey passed in silence, except for Ared and Tollen's irrepressible chatter. The older boy had taken to carrying his new friend around as they made their way towards Stella, the shoes he had nealry lost hanging form his belt most of the time as he walked instead on the stronger, faster, dog's legs, his wagging tail providing ours of entertainment to Ared as they wandered down little-used roads, just behind the others. Sora flew high and far ahead, spending hours awing, and only returning at evening when the others stopped to make camp, her face pale and her wide wings drooping to the ground, trembling with exhaustion. SHe had always been a reclusive, unpredictable element of their group, and as they got further away from the village by the forest where they had left Ellen, she spent longer hours each day in the air, missing the girl who's anima should have been prey to her own more than she could explain.

Fenrnando noted this behaviour, and remembered his almost casual observation from when he had first met Rain, Tollen, Alistair and Binder - the +anima had been appearing in pairs.

*break*

HAHA! FINISHED! for now at least... next chapter shall commence by Stella, where the kings have harems, and the people keep slaves.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Eighteen: FINALLY, WE ARRIVE IN STELLA! CAPITAL CITY OF SAILAND!

"ALL RIGHT! FINALLY!" Tollen yelled, his tail wagging so hard that he was literally vibrating as he stared down at the huge city glittering in the sunlight reflected off the bright ocean. "I wanna see the dancing girls!"

Sora scowled at Tollen, her eyes turning golden from her anima as she contemplated pecking him.

"Put that away, Tollen," Alistair sighed, hissing slightly as he spoke - he tended to maintain his anima, since the forked tongue and retractable fangs were less noticeable than a bending black snake's tongue running down his chin. "And can you pass me the powder Tasha? I want to be able to talk quickly if I need to."

"You should do a little more other than just hide your markings, you ARE a missing noble's son after all." Rain said, kissing Alistair's cheek and pulling on her leather gloves.

Alistair nodded, his face creasing into a frown as he considered his options.

"I saw some Tanna-berry bushes a little way back. You can make a paste from them that'll stain your hair brown." Amber suggested,, tilting her head so that the beads clacked.

"I'll help you fetch it." Sora suggested. She was nervous of going into the city - understandeable, since she hated covering the two huge black spirals that reached up her back - an eagle's claustrophobia was even worse than a parrot's.

"Right, well, it's nearly evening, why don't we just stop here, and make sure we're good and ready before we go find Prince Myrrah and his wife."

"Husky and Nana. They go by Husky and NAna." Amber corrected over her shoulder.

"Right..."

"Fernando! Will you tell us a story then?" Ared asked, sitting down on the grass and grinning.

"Sure...

*break*

"Why did we come here?" Tasha asked Jekyl, sitting slightly away from the group and watching the sun go down. The wolf's ears twitched, and she sniffed the air, catching a familiar scent approaching behind her.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Fernando replied, sitting down on the grass next to her.

"We need something better than that." Tasha replied, her ears twitching in irritation.

"We'll find something. why worry now? We're nearly at our first goal, we're all unharmed, safe and together-"

"For now."

"And it's a beautiful evening." The dark-haired boy finished firmly, staring out at the glittering carpet of rubies that the setting sun made of the ocean.

"Fine." Tahsa sighed, looking out over the water and lettign a faint smile cross her face.

"But you know what? I want to know _why _the +anima are coming back..." Fernando said pensively.

"I think it's because the two... the white one and the black one..."

_The first ones... _Jekyl added in her head.

"Yeah, the first anima... they're like angels... I think that they were doing it all, but then... now... for some reason they can't..." Tasha trailed off.

Fernando didn't hear her. He had gone rigid, his dark eyes wide as a shudder of pain racked his body, seeming to radiate from his hand - the one he had rested on Lirale's shoulder. An image flashed across his mind - a weird ethereal dreamscape, with two people standing, watching, large wings, one pair white, one black unfurling from their backs. They were stiff wiht anger and shock, their gaze directed at whatever was pulling Fernando's mind's eye towards it.

_Lirale_... The thought echoed, and silver eyes looked up. THere were two people standing on her riverbank, wearing thick gloves of some strange material. The material some how let them grip her arms and pull her from the water. Scales rippled across her body as she tried to get away, her feet, her tail, kicking at the bank, but passing through the earth as if it were as insubstantial as she were.

"I'm not sure this will work, Marca..." One of the people was an ancient old man, his face shielded by a heavy dark hood. The other one was an elderly, grandmotherly woman.

"Well, there's nothing for it but to try. We came all the way to Sailand for these studies, we can't just abandon htem."

"Sailand has always been unusually fertile in +anima; But I never imagined we'd be able to find a true anima spirit..."

"It makes implantation harder though..."

"Get off me!" Lirale shouted, her rippling form twisting. The two ignored her.

"But I don't see how we'll be able to split it, even if the hosts are twins." The man added, as two young boys were escorted into the clearing by a slender dark-haired young woman maybe a year younger than Alistair.

"Well, even half of her essence is more than the previous generation of +anima had, so there should be no problem..."

The boys reached the bank, their fingers linked as they watched the anima. One of them showed no expression in his young, empty eyes, but the other grinned impishly.

"I'm Michael, this is Nicholas... Hi..." He raised their joined hands and pressed their fingers to the centre of Lirale's chest, over her heart, and the thickest knot of black markings. The shapes began to flow up their arms, and as if they had been a frame to contain her, Lirale began to fade.

_Abomination!_ The dark-winged man screamed in rage, his wings beating at the strange ether-stuff. Fernando looked around, nausea churning in his stomach, and his hand burning.

"Help her." the woman said, her pale eyes deep with pain. "Find them..."

*break*

Sorry... *sheepish look* but I'm nearly finished school, so I should be able to update more often now...


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 19:

"Fernando? Fernando!" The boy's eyes flicked open to the sound of Tasha's voice, and the feel of her hands on his shoulder, shaking him. "What just happened?"

"I... nothing. It's fine..." Fernando shook his head and smiled at Tasha, but his eyes widened slightly as he saw a little boy standing beside her, grinning toothily, his skin covered in soft grey fur that at the same time seemed to be +anima markings. Jekyl waved at him.

"Are you sure? You sort of zoned out, and got really tense..."

"I'm fine." Fernando said, glancing down at his still burning left palm. There were faint silver lines there, under the skin, and too blurry to make out their shape. In the distance, he could feel two conflicting pulls, one back towards the mountains, and Lirale, the other down into the city – a double pull that seemed like an echo the presence of the two angel-like beings.

"Okay... well, we should probably go back to the campsite." Tasha said after a while, standing up and holding out a hand to Fernando. The dark-haired boy took it awkwardly in his right hand, and stood up. He was about to let go, but Tasha transferred his hand to her own left so that they could walk back, still holding hands.

*break*

Nana studied the skirt in her hands, tilting it back and forth in the light shining in the dusty window.

"Is it finished yet mum?" Minna asked, leaning on the back of the chair, her long silver-blue hair spilling down around her shoulders. She'd inherited her father's exotic colouring.

"Nearly. What have you told Husky about this date?"

"I haven't – I'm worried he'll hit me with his stick." Minna laughed.

"Doesn't he do that anyway?" Nana asked with a huff – she disapproved of Husky 'training' Minna and Tyler, since it just seemed like an excuse to brutalise his children.

"Mum!" Minna shook her head in annoyance.

"Mama! Mama!" Tyler ran in, his sandy hair flying. "We have visitors!"

"Who is it?" Minna lifted the skirt of Nana's lap, pulling it on over the slightly battered petticoat and brushed her hair back from her face.

"It's not your _boyfriend_." Tyler said rolling his eyes he was three years younger than Minna, and the idea of romance was less than appealing to a twelve-year-old boy. "It's a heap of people – a couple around my age, a couple around Minna's age, one looks only little though.

"Kids?" Nana asked in surprise.

"I'm _not _a kid." Minna grumbled, slouching slightly.

"Okay, One second. HUSKY!" She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted up the stairs for her husband. There was a bang and a few swearwords, which also included the line 'stupid girls' before the silver-eyed ex-prince and ex-merperson came gingerly down the stairs.

"Yes?"

"We have guests an-"

A knock sounded gingerly on the door, and Nana bustled over to open it.

A tall Kim-un-Kur girl was standing there, surrounded by a group of adolescents, and holding the hand of a six-year-old.

"Amber!" Minna brushed past her mother and hugged the slightly older girl. "I haven't seen you in _ages_! How've things been? Did you pass that hunter's test thingy? Aren't the passes snowed in by now? What are you doing here?" She continued a flow of questions as Amber and the others piled into the house.

"Excuse me prince Myrrah," Husky stiffened slightly as Alistair addressed him. "We need to talk to you... and your wife." Nana raised an eyebrow, exchanging a curious glance with Husky. Then Ared snaked past the others to stand in the middle of the room, stretching out his arms, and then, with a sigh of relief, a pair of bright red and blue wings, the feathers sprouting through his hair as well, and she was no longer curious.

"The +anima are back?" Husky demanded, staring at Ared.

"All of us have anima – except for Amber and Fernando. Alistair explained nodding, hissing slightly on 'except' as he unleashed his own anima, and tasted the air.

"And all different ones too!" Tollen said excitedly, his tail making its way out of his pants and wagging enthusiastically – his legs didn't transform however, since he was under strict control to be civil. "We've got two birds, two reptiles, two canines and a feline – we met a fox-boy and a girl who was rat too, but they stayed in a village a little way back. I'm Tollen by the way – and my anima is Jana, a Border Collie."

Nana winced slightly at the mention of Ellen – she'd been embarrassed of her bat +anima; a rat must be even worse.

"Hey, 'Red, could you fetch Sora inside and tell her that it's big enough?" Fernando asked, resting his left hand on the dog +anima's shoulder, somehow managing to make him be quiet. "We need your advice."

"Also, please tell us where we can find Mr. Cooro?" Ared said, skipping towards the door.

"You'll all have to stay for dinner then – this will take a while." Nana suggested. "Minna, you'll have to take Tyler with you."

"But _mu~um_..." Tyler and Minna spoke together, and were simultaneously ignored.

*break*

"They're down in that house." A small boy said tonelessly, pointing. His other hand was wrapped around that of an identical child – except that the second boy's stood nearly straight up. "You can feel them too, can't you Elizabeth?"

A tall, slender young woman – about fifteen – with black eyes and green hair nodded. She, like the twin boys, wore a long, green coat, split up the back for mobility the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

"Funny that it's harder when they're in a group though." The fourth member of the group said, shaking out her tangled pale hair. She was wearing a short, sleeveless button down dress that appeared to be the butchered remains of one of the coats, and there were punch-daggers at her thighs, the H-shaped handles protruding from the bottom of her skirt. "If it hadn't been for that one that got lost, we would have lost them at the mountains."

"It was _their_ fault – taking all that equipment and stuff." The boy with the spiky hair said, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"If they hadn't, you two still wouldn't be +anima."

"And we probably would have lost the trail again, Zara."

"Either way, their holed up with the new guy, so what do we do now 'boss'?" Zara grinned and turned to wait for Elizabeth to reply.

*Break*

DUN DUN DU~UN! I've actually been wanting to introduce these guys for a~ages, but I only just got the chance. Damn me for introducing four (and aiming for five) new characters, but hey, it's cool. Hopefully updating will be speedier now that I've come to the top of the relative rollercoaster ride that is writing, and can now coast downhill on the things I have spent the last ten-plus chapters sort of setting up...

And then there is the by-now compulsory apology...


End file.
